What bird is that?

by Frank M. Chapman

WOODPECKERS. FAMILY PICIDÆ

IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER
Campephilus principalis

Our largest Woodpecker, black with a white stripe down each side of the neck, white showing in the wing in flight, the male with a flaming red crest, the female with a black one and both with an ivory-white bill. L. 20.

Range. Formerly southeastern United States to North Carolina; now rare and local in the wilder, less settled portions of the Gulf States.

When man appears, the Ivory-bill disappears. This is not alone due to the destruction of the birds' haunts but to the bird's shy, retiring nature. Its days are numbered even more surely than are those of the forests it inhabits.

The nesting cavity is usually made in a cypress some forty feet from the ground, and 3-5 white eggs are laid in March.

HAIRY WOODPECKER
Dryobates villosus villosus. [Case 2], Figs. 28, 29

The Hairy is a large edition of the Downy with white, unmarked outer tail-feathers. The male has a red head-band. L. 9½.

Range. Middle and northern states; a permanent resident. The southern Hairy Woodpecker (D. v. auduboni) inhabits the southeastern United States north to southern Virginia. It is smaller than the Hairy and has less white in the plumage. L. 8¹/₁₀.

The Northern Hairy Woodpecker (D. v. leucomelas) is found from the northern United States northward. It is larger and whiter than the Hairy. L. 10.

The Newfoundland Hairy Woodpecker (D. v. terrænovæ) is larger and darker than the Hairy; it inhabits Newfoundland.

Washington, rare P.R. Ossining, rare P.R. Cambridge, uncommon W.V., one summer record. N. Ohio, common P.R. Glen Ellyn, fairly common P.R.

The Hairy is not so common as his small cousin the Downy, and does not so readily make friends. He prefers the woods to our orchards and is for these reasons less often seen at our feeding-stands. The Hairy's notes are noticeably louder than the Downy's. The nest-hole is usually in a dead tree. The 2-4 white eggs are laid the last half of April.

DOWNY WOODPECKER
Dryobates pubescens medianus. [Case 2], Figs. 26, 27

The Downy differs from the Hairy Woodpecker in color by having the outer tail-feathers with black bars, but it is the bird's obviously smaller size that will serve to distinguish it. L. 6¾.

Range. From Virginia northward into Canada. A Permanent Resident. The Southern Downy Woodpecker (D. p. pubescens, [Case 3], Fig. 25) is smaller, darker below and with the white markings smaller. L. 6. It inhabits the south Atlantic and Gulf States north to North Carolina.

Washington, common P.R. Ossining, common P.R. Cambridge, common P.R. N. Ohio, common P.R. Glen Ellyn, common P.R. SE. Minn., common P.R.

Our commonest Woodpecker; an alert, active little driller for insects and their eggs and larvæ, and frequent visitor to our lunch-counters, particularly if we supply them with suet. His sharp peek, peek, running at times into a diminishing string of peeks, and his rolling tatoo, as he pounds a limb with amazing rapidity, are prominent parts of every-day bird language, the tatoo being a 'song' of the breeding season.

Four to six white eggs are laid in a hole, usually in a dead tree, the first week in May. The Southern Downy nests in April.

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER
Dryobates borealis

Between the Downy and Hairy in size (L. 8½) with a general resemblance to both, but the male with a small tuft of red feathers on each side of the back of the head.

Range. Southeastern States north to North Carolina.

An inhabitant of the pine woods, who utters a coarse yank-yank note and may at times be seen feeding from the terminal tufts of pine 'needles' in the higher branches. The nest is usually in a living pine; the 2-5 white eggs are laid in April.

ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODPECKER
Picoides arcticus

Two toes in front and one behind, a solid black back and an orange-yellow crown in the male distinguish this from all our other Woodpeckers. Size of the Hairy, L. 9½.

Range. Canada, and northern parts of our border states, rarely south in winter, as far as Nebraska and Ohio.

Cambridge, one record. N. Ohio, rare W.V. SE. Minn., rare.

An inhabitant of the spruce and balsam forests of our northern states, occasionally straggling southward in winter. Nests in May.

THREE-TOED WOODPECKER
Picoides americanus americanus

Two toes in front and one behind, an orange-yellow crest in the male, and a black back closely and evenly barred with white distinguish this bird; it is somewhat smaller than the preceding, L. 8¾.

Range. Canada, south to the northern parts of our boundary states; unknown south of Massachusetts.

Not so common as the Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker, and less often found south of its breeding range. Nests in early June.

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Sphyrapicus varius varius. [Case 3], Fig. 26, [Case 5], Fig. 30

The female has the throat white, and rarely, crown wholly black. Young birds have the throat whitish, crown dull black, breast brownish. The black breast-patch and red forehead, and red or white throat are distinguishing characters. L. 8½.

Range. Nests from northern New England and Minnesota (in Alleghanies from North Carolina) to Canada; winters from Pennsylvania (rarely) southward to the Gulf States.

Washington, common T.V., Mch.-May; Sept. and Oct., Occasional in winter. Ossining, common T.V., Apl. 5-May 13; Sept. 18-Oct. 23; casual in winter. Cambridge, not uncommon T.V., Apl. and Sept. 15-Nov. 1; occasional W.V. N. Ohio, common T.V., Apl. 1-May 20; Sept. 15-Oct. 20. Glen Ellyn, common T.V., Mch. 31-May 12; Sept. 14-Oct. 13. SE. Minn., common S.R., Mch. 25-Oct. 19.

This is the mysterious maker of the rows of little holes drilled in even lines, like hieroglyphics, on the trunks of apple and other trees. Using his brush-tipped tongue as a swab, he drinks the sap that oozes from these punctures.

As a migrant the Yellow-belly is not conspicuous. His business takes him into the heart of living trees and he is usually seen only when flying from one to another. His low 'snarling' note attracts the attention of only the observant.

The nest-hole is 25-40 feet up; the 5-7 white eggs are laid in May.

PILEATED WOODPECKER
Phlœotomus pileatus pileatus

Next to the nearly extinct Ivory-bill this is the largest of our Woodpeckers. (L. 17.) Both sexes have a flaming red crest (reaching the forehead in the male) the remainder of the plumage being black, with the throat, a stripe from the bill down the sides of the neck, and the basal half of the wing-feathers white; bill horn-color.

Range. Southeastern and Gulf States, north to North Carolina. The Northern Pileated Woodpecker (P. p. abieticola) is found thence northward into Canada and west to the Pacific. It is a larger bird, with the white areas larger.

In the south the Pileated is by no means rare and seems not averse to the presence of man; but in the north he retires to the wilder forested areas and we are apt to see him only when we go a-camping. And he is well worth seeing with his flaming crest and powerful bill which, used either as a chisel or drum-stick, produces impressive results. Strangely enough the Pileated's notes resemble those of the Flicker but are louder.

The nest is usually well up; the 3-5 white eggs are laid in April in the south, in May in the north.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Melanerpes erythrocephalus. [Case 3], Figs. 21, 22; [Case 6], Fig. 43

Adults of both sexes have the whole head red; young, during their first winter, have the head grayish brown, and a black band across the white wing-feathers. L. 9¾.

Range. Eastern United States, west to Rockies; local east of the Alleghanies and north of Pennsylvania.

Washington, rather common S.R., rare W.V. Ossining, rare P.R., common in fall, Aug. 27-Oct. 12. Cambridge, irregular at all seasons; sometimes common in fall. N. Ohio, common S.R., Apl. 20-Sept. 25; occasionally winters. Glen Ellyn, common S.R., Feb. 19-Nov. 6; a few winter. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 4-Sept. 17; rare in winter.

Adding to the normal habits of a Woodpecker marked skill as a flycatcher, the Red-head stops his grub-hunting and swings out after a passing insect with a dazzling display of red, white and blue-black. Noisy as he is conspicuous, he beats his log-drum, rolls a tree toad-like krrring, or, with tireless persistency utters a whistled croak. In the northeastern states Red-heads are distributed irregularly. They are rarely common in the summer, but in the fall they sometimes appear in numbers. Whenever they come we are soon aware of their presence.

The nest is generally in a dead tree; the 4-6 white eggs are laid in May.

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER
Centurus carolinus. [Case 3], Fig. 23

Back and wings evenly barred with black and white, hence the name 'Zebra'; the female and young have the front part of the crown gray. L. 9½.

Range. Eastern United States, north to southern Pennsylvania, western New York and southern Minnesota; casually further.

Washington, locally common P.R. Cambridge, A.V., one record. N. Ohio, tolerably common P.R. SE. Minn., uncommon P.R.

A common, hoarse-voiced resident of orange groves and gardens who with a chuh-chuh, jerkily hitches himself upward in the routine of the daily grub hunt. It is rare at the northern part of its range, but resident wherever found. The nest is in dead or living trees; the 4-6 white eggs are laid in late April or early May.

NORTHERN FLICKER
Colaptes auratus luteus. [Case 2], Figs. 21, 22; [Case 3], Fig. 20

The white rump and yellow wing-linings, displayed in flight; black breast-crescent, spotted underparts and fairly large size, readily distinguish this beautiful bird. The female very properly lacks the male's 'moustache.' L. 12.

Range. Eastern North America, from North Carolina and southern Illinois to Canada and Alaska. The Southern Flicker (C. a. auratus) a smaller, darker race, inhabits the South Atlantic and Gulf States.

Washington, common S.R., rare W.V. Ossining, common S.R., Mch. 25-Oct. 30; a few winter. Cambridge, very common S.R., common W.V. N. Ohio, common S.R., Mch. 10-Nov. 15 a few winter. Glen Ellyn, common S.R., Mch. 7-Dec. 24; a few winter. SE. Minn., common S.R., Mch. 21-Oct. 16.

Thirty years ago the Flicker, High-hole or Yellow-hammer, was prey of any boy with a gun and was correspondingly wild and little known; now, thanks to the Audubon Society, he is almost as domestic as the Robin. In search of ants and their eggs, he hunts our lawns and even accepts the hospitality of our nest-logs. A great acquisition to our dooryard life is this bird of beautiful colors, quaint habits, and strange notes. His loud, strongly accented call, kée-yer, his rapidly repeated mellow weéchew, weéchew, possess character even if they lack musical quality.

The Flicker nests in holes and lays from 5-9 white eggs in late April or early May.

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