BIRD TYPES
WOODPECKERS
Woodpeckers are easily distinguished from other birds by their habit of perching in a vertical position on the trunks of trees with the tips of their tails pressed against the bark. While in this position, they tap upon the tree with their sharp, pointed beaks.
THE DOWNY WOODPECKER
Learn to recognize the smallest of our woodpeckers, the Downy. Winter or summer it may be found among the apple trees and shade trees, a tiny black and white bird little bigger than a wren.
OBSERVATIONS
I
Why is "checkerboard" a good name for this bird?
Are there any distinct lines of white?
Are there any patches of red?
Do its movements reveal energy or listlessness?
How does it move up a tree trunk?
How does it move down a tree trunk?
Find out how it can hold so firmly to the trunk.
Does it use its sharp beak as a drill or as a pick?
To the teacher.—The downy is spotted black and white, with barred wings and a white line down the centre of the back. A bright scarlet crown is the colour distinction of the male. This little bird is the embodiment of energy and perseverance. It hops nimbly up the trunk, tapping here and there with its beak, and then listening for the movements of the disturbed wood-borers. If it wishes to descend, it wastes no time in turning around, but hops backward down the trunk, or jumps off and flies down.
II
Examine an apple tree upon which a downy has been at work and find out what it was doing there.
Do you find the birds in pairs during winter? During summer? Distinguish the male from the female.
Tie a beef bone with scraps of meat adhering to it to a tree. What birds come to it?
Find the nest of the downy and describe the nest and the eggs.
Do the holes made by the downy injure the trees?
Why should the downy be welcomed in our orchards?
Describe the sounds made by the birds.
To the teacher.—Discuss the pupils' answers to the above problems in the class lesson, using a picture of a woodpecker to illustrate the features of the bird that adapt it for its habits. Examples: the straight, sharp beak suited for drilling; the two backward, projecting toes for perching; the spines on the tips of the tail feathers to act as a prop.
The downy woodpecker is very useful in the orchard, because it destroys great numbers of larvæ of the tussock-moth and other insects. The holes made in the bark have never been found to injure the trees. The nest is made in a hollow tree, the entrance to it being almost perfectly round and about one and one-quarter inches in diameter.
The downy woodpecker has a very unmusical voice, but fortunately he is aware of this deficiency, and his only attempt at music is drumming with his beak upon a hollow limb or tree.
The hairy woodpecker, redheaded woodpecker, flicker, and yellow-bellied woodpecker (sapsucker) are other varieties which visit the orchards and are suitable for lessons similar to these on the downy woodpecker. They are all beneficial birds.
FLYCATCHERS
Members common to this class are: king-bird; house-phoebe, wood-phoebe, or pewee; whip-poor-will; least fly-catcher; giant fly-catcher.
Direct the observations of the pupils to the following type features:
Brownish or grayish colours; fringe of long bristles around the mouth (explain their use); whistling notes, varying with the different members of the family; habit of jumping from the perch, catching an insect while on the wing, and returning to the spot from which the flight began; nests, chiefly of mud built in a protected place, as under a bridge, ledge of rock, or projecting log.
WRENS
The house wren may be studied as a type. Observe its brownish colour, faintly mottled; its small size and energetic movements, its tail turned nearly vertically upward. Observe and report on other wrens, noting any differences.