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.