HABITS
The gilded flicker of middle Baja California, between latitude 28° and latitude 30° N., is a well-marked subspecies. A. W. Anthony (1895b), naming it, characterized it as “differing from C. chrysoides in darker upper parts and slightly smaller size.” He says further: “It would be quite natural to expect specimens of Colaptes from the northern half of Lower California to be more or less intermediate between those of Arizona and Cape St. Lucas. They are, however, further removed from the type form from the Cape than are those from Arizona and northern Mexico, and in the series I have examined the Arizona skins are exactly intermediate in the color of the upper parts between a series from Cape St. Lucas and my skins from San Fernando.”
Ridgway (1914) describes brunnescens as “similar to C. c. chrysoides, but coloration decidedly darker and browner, color of pileum more rufescent (russet, or between russet and mars brown, in typical specimens), immaculate area of rump more restricted (sometimes whole rump spotted with black), wing and tail averaging shorter, and bill longer.”
Mr. Anthony wrote to Major Bendire (1895): “The Gilded Flicker is rather common in the heavy growth of giant cactus, Cereus pringlei, but not adverse to the candlewood forests which cover a large part of the peninsula between latitudes 28° and 30°.” The general habits of this flicker do not seem to differ from those of the species elsewhere.
The eggs of the San Fernando flicker are similar to those of the preceeding subspecies. Griffing Bancroft (1930) gives the average measurements of 24 eggs as 27.1 by 21.3 millimeters. I have the measurements of 5 others, which average 28.9 by 22.1 millimeters.
COLAPTES CAFER RUFIPILEUS Ridgway
GUADALUPE FLICKER
HABITS
This insular race of the red-shafted flickers is another member of the unique avifauna of that interesting island that has followed the Guadalupe caracara, and other species peculiar to Guadalupe Island, into extinction. It was discovered by Dr. Edward Palmer in 1875 and was described and named by Robert Ridgway (1876) as Colaptes mexicanus rufipileus. In his description of it, he remarks: “In the closed tail, only about half an inch of red is exposed on the under surface beyond the lower coverts, the remaining 2.50 being uniform black. The main differences from the continental form consist in the longer bill, more pinkish rump, and bright tawny forehead. In the latter feature, the resemblance is closer to C. chrysoides, the crown and nape having about the same gradation from bright cinnamon-tawny anteriorly to dull grayish-cinnamon posteriorly.” Although it has a decidedly longer bill than the mainland forms, it has a much shorter wing and tail. The collector’s notes state that, even then, it was “rare, and apparently only found in the pine-woods of the north end of the island.”
Walter E. Bryant (1887), who visited Guadalupe in 1885 and 1886, gives us the best account we have of this little-known bird. He says of its status and haunts at that time: “Comparatively speaking, this bird was not rare in the restricted area of the large cypress grove, but apart from this locality less than a dozen were seen. Three specimens were taken among some palms within a short distance from the beach on the eastern side of the island. One only was heard among the pines at the northern portion, and in the vicinity of the large palm grove on the northwestern slope they were occasionally seen.” He collected ten specimens, whereas Dr. Palmer took only three.