I. Very large—18 inches or more; conspicuously crested. A.
II. Medium or small—14 inches or less; never crested. B.
A. a1 Bill gleaming ivory white; fourth toe decidedly longest. Ivory-billed Woodpecker. [1.] a2 Bill blackish; fourth toe not decidedly longest. Pileated Woodpecker or Logcock. [14.] B. a1 Toes three; ♂ with yellow crown. Three-toed Woodpeckers. [9] & [10.] a2 Toes four; crown never yellow (b). b1 Not spotted nor streaked either above or below (c). c1 Body clear black; head white. White-headed Woodpecker. [8.] c2 Blue-black above; rump white; head and neck red. Red-headed Woodpecker. [15.] c3 Greenish black above, with pinkish red belly. Lewis’s Woodpecker. [17.] c4 Greenish black with sulphur yellow forehead and throat. Californian Woodpecker. [16.] c5 Glossy blue-black with scarlet throat and yellow belly. Male of Williamson’s Sapsucker. [13.] b2 Spotted with black or brown on breast and sides, but not streaked nor barred with white (d). d1 Brown spots on breast and sides; upper parts plain brown. Arizona Woodpecker. [7.] d2 Black spots on breast and sides; wings and tail brilliantly colored beneath (e). e1 Wings and tail golden beneath; mustaches black in male, wanting in female. Flicker. [21.] e2 Wings and tail golden beneath; mustaches red in both sexes. Gilded Flicker. [23.] e3 Wings and tail golden red beneath; mustaches red. Red-shafted Flicker. [22.] e4 Wings and tail golden red beneath; mustaches red; crown brown. Guadalupe Flicker. [24.] b3 Streaked, spotted, or barred with white on back and wings (f). f1 Back streaked, plain, or varied, never barred with white; wings spotted with white (g). g1 Clear white and black; white streak down the back (h). h1 Medium size, 9-11 inches. Hairy Woodpecker. [2.] h2 Small size, 6-7 inches. Downy Woodpecker. [3.] g2 Grayish white and black; sides closely barred (i). i1 Back plain black, white stripe down side of throat. Female of Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. [9.] i2 Back with interrupted white stripe, white line down side of throat. Female of American Three-toed Woodpecker. [10.] (Note.—The males are similar with the addition of the yellow crown. The three toes cannot ordinarily be seen in life.) g3 Yellowish (often dingy or smutty), white and black; under parts yellowish; back varied with white, no line nor streak; rump white; white wing-bars (j). j1 Breast with black patch; head of adult with red patches. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. [11.] j2 Breast and head red. Red-breasted Sapsucker. [12.] f2 Back barred with white; wings spotted or barred with white (k). k1 Belly white; ear coverts white. Red-cockaded Woodpecker. [4.] k2 Belly white; forehead black. Nuttall’s Woodpecker. [6.] k3 Belly smoky brown; forehead and breast same. Texan Woodpecker. [5.] k4 Belly sulphur or lemon yellow. Female of Williamson’s Woodpecker. [13.] k5 Belly pinkish red. Red-bellied Woodpecker. [18.] k6 Belly yellow, hind neck and forehead orange. Golden-fronted Woodpecker. [19.] k7 Belly yellow, hind neck brown. Gila Woodpecker. [20.]
B. Descriptions of the Woodpeckers of North America.
The following are descriptions of all the species of Woodpeckers found in North America, arranged in their proper genera and in the order given in the check list of the American Ornithologists’ Union, 1895; with the range of species and subspecies as defined by the same authority or by Bendire’s “Life Histories of North American Birds.”
1. Campephilus principalis, Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Glossy black except white secondaries (very conspicuous) and white stripe from beneath ear down neck and shoulders; white nasal tufts; bill white. Both sexes crested; ♂ with scarlet occipital crest, ♀ with crest black. Iris yellow. 20 inches. Cypress swamps of Gulf States, locally distributed. The largest, shyest, and rarest of our woodpeckers. 2. Dryobates villosus, Hairy Woodpecker. Black and white. Upper parts glossy black with a broad white stripe down the back; wings thickly spotted with white; under parts white; three outer pairs of tail feathers white; two white and two black stripes on sides of head; nasal tufts brownish white. ♂ with scarlet occipital patch. 9-10 inches. Eastern United States except South Atlantic and Gulf States, with the following subspecies, all the races being resident the year round, and breeding in most places where they are found:—
a. D. v. leucomelas, Northern Hairy Woodpecker. 10-11 inches. Larger, whiter. British America. b. D. v. audubonii, Southern Hairy Woodpecker. 8-8.5 inches. Smaller, more dingy white. South Atlantic and Gulf States. c. D. v. harrisii, Harris’s Woodpecker. 9-10 inches. Upper parts with less white, few wing spots, under parts soiled white or smoky brown; larger than next. Northwest coast, northern California to Alaska. d. D. v. hyloscopus, Cabanis’s Woodpecker. 8.5-9.5 inches. White stripe down back very wide; purer white below than harrisii; fewer wing spots than leucomelas and villosus. Western United States, except northwest coast, east to the Rocky Mountains. e. D. v. monticola, Rocky Mountain Woodpecker. 10-11 inches. Larger; more white spots near bend of wing and secondaries than hyloscopus, fewer than villosus; pure white below. Rocky Mountains west to Uintah Mountains, Utah.
3. Dryobates pubescens, Southern Downy Woodpecker. Black and white; broad white stripe down back; wings thickly spotted with white; under parts white. ♂ with scarlet occipital patch. A miniature Hairy Woodpecker, differing only in having four outer pairs of tail feathers more or less white and the outermost barred. 6.5 inches. Like the Hairy Woodpecker, the Downy and its subspecies are resident and breed wherever they occur. South Atlantic and Gulf States.
a. D. p. gairdnerii, Gairdner’s Woodpecker. 6.75 inches. Bears same relation to Downy that Harris’s does to Hairy Woodpecker; under parts smoky white; wings spots few. Pacific coast north to about lat. 55°. b. D. p. oreoecus, Batchelder’s Woodpecker. 7.5 inches. Under parts pure white; under tail coverts unspotted; fewer wing spots than medianus and pubescens. Rocky Mountain region of United States. c. D. p. medianus, Downy Woodpecker. 7 inches. The larger, whiter form seen in New England and the Northern States. d. D. p. nelsoni, Nelson’s Downy Woodpecker. Whiter, larger, with fewer black bars on outer tail feathers. Alaska and region north of 55°.
4. Dryobates borealis, Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Upper parts black barred with white, under parts dingy white; sides streaked and spotted with black; wings spotted with white; outer tail feathers barred; nasal tufts and large ear patch white; stripe of black down side of neck. ♂ with a tiny tuft of scarlet feathers on each side of head. 7.5-8.5 inches. Pine woods of southeastern United States, from Tennessee southwest to eastern Texas and the Indian Territory; casual north to Pennsylvania. 5. Dryobates scalaris bairdi, Texan Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Upper parts barred with black and white on back, wings, and outer tail feathers; sides of head striped; forehead, nasal feathers, and under parts smoky gray, brownest on belly; crown speckled with white or red; ♂ with nape crimson. 7-7.5 inches. Southern border of United States, Texas to California, north to southwestern Utah and southern Nevada; generally resident.
a. D. s. lucasanus, St. Lucas Woodpecker. Larger. Lower California, north to 34° in Colorado desert. These are both subspecies of a Mexican species not occurring within our limits.