In flight, this is one of the most conspicuous of the woodpeckers. It has a bright red head, neck and breast, glossy blue-black on the back and tail, white rump, under parts and secondaries. It is more abundant in the east and middle United States, but occurs fairly common in Arizona and Texas to Colorado. It nests in any kind of trees, telegraph poles or will even drill a hole under the eaves of the barn or house in some localities. They are the most pugnacious of the woodpeckers, and often are seen chasing one another or driving away some other bird. They feed also upon ants, larvæ of insects, and small fruits and berries.
They lay from four to eight pure white eggs (1.00 × .75).
CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER.
407a. Melanerpes formicivorus bairdi. 9½ inches.
A common and attractive woodpecker throughout California and Oregon. With its red cap and white forehead, and back or upper parts black tinged with green, a solid black band across the breast, white under parts and rump, and, above all, their continual talking among themselves. Nest, eggs, food, same as above, with the addition to its diet of acorns in great numbers.
LEWIS WOODPECKER.
408. Asyndesmus lewisi. 10½ inches.
An oddly colored species, with a crimson red face, under parts streaked with crimson and white, a gray breast, and upper parts a glossy greenish black. They are more common in the mountain ranges among the tall pines from the eastern Rockies to the Pacific coast range, breeding high up in the trees. Their food consisting of insect life mostly, and acorns, which they gather and store away for future use. Four to eight eggs are pure white (1.05 × .80).