Birds ix Relation to AoRirrLTrRE ix New York State 1797 



woodpeckers, both of black and white streaked plumage, are the com- 

 monest in New York State. The flicker, our only brown woodpecker, 

 has departed so far from the habits of the remainder of the family that 

 it frequently descends to the ground and feeds on grubs and ants, which 

 it finds by probing in the soil or in ants' nests. The red-headed woodpecker 

 is common in some parts of the State, especially in the southern and west- 

 em parts, and the red-bellied woodpecker is more rarely found in the same 

 territory. 



All the woodpeckers are among our 

 most valuable birds, because they 

 destroy the wood-boring insects, which 

 arc very difficult to combat in any 

 other way. Every effort should he 

 made to encourage and protect them. 

 A very simple method of attracting 

 them to the orchard or to trees about 

 the house is by hanging pieces of suet 

 or beef scraps on the trees, especially 

 during the winter months. This is 

 discussed under " How to attract 

 birds," page 49. The birds will more 

 than pay for the small trouble, not 

 only by their interesting habits, but 

 also by searching the neighboring trees 

 very thoroughly for boring larvae or 

 pupae concealed beneath loose bark. 



Slingerland and Crosby, in their 

 "Manual of Fruit Insects," state con- 

 cerning the codling moth: " Its most 

 effective natural enemies are the birds, 

 over a dozen species of which are 

 known to feed on it. The downy 

 woodpecker, nuthatch, and chickadee 

 destroy great nvmibers of the hiber- 

 nating larvae, under loose flakes of bark. In fact, it requires diligent 

 search to find larvae towards spring even where empty cocoons are 

 abundant. Usually a tell-tale hole through the bark flake into the 

 cocoon explains the absence of its occupant. These birds are such efficient 

 aids to man in controlling the codlln-moth that they should be carefully 

 protected. During the winter they feed in small flocks, going over the 

 ^me territory day after day, carefully examining every portion of the 

 bark for insect food. They may be induced to visit an orchard regularly 



Fig. 26. — The hairy woodpecker, a borer 



