THE DOWNY WOODPECKER 



Woodpecker Family — Picidce 



Length: A little over 6^^ inches; the smallest of our wood- 

 peckers. 



General Appearance: A small black and white bird, with a 

 white stripe extending down the middle of its back; 

 a red patch on back of male's head. The tail is used 

 for a prop as the woodpecker climbs tree-trunks. 



Male: Upper parts black and white; crown of head black with 

 red patch at nape; two broad white stripes above and 

 below eye; a broad white stripe down the center of 

 back; wings spotted and barred with white; tail 

 sharply pointed; the long tail-feathers, black; the 

 short outer tail-feathers, white barred with black; 

 bill long, strong, with a tuft of feathers at its base. 



Female : • Like male, except for the absence of a red patch on 

 the head. 



Notes: A call-note Peek-peek. A metallic Tut-tut-tut' -tut-tut- 

 tut-tut might be considered the Downy's song, but he 

 belongs really to the group of songless birds. He 

 beats loud tattoos on the boughs of trees, especially 

 at mating time. 



Flight: Labored, jerky, with a characteristic shutting of the 

 wings against the sides. 



Habitat: Tree-trunks in woods and orchards, and on lawns. 

 The Downy is our most common woodpecker, and a 

 permanent resident. 



Range: Northern and central parts of eastern North America, 

 from Alberta, Manitoba, and Ungava, south to east- 

 ern Nebraska, Kansas, the Potomac Valley, and in 

 the mountains to North Carolina. 



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