THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER 



good nut-yields and migrate whenever the nut-crop fails.* 

 "In central Indiana during a good beechnut year, from 

 the time the nuts began to ripen, the redheads were al- 

 most constantly on the wing; passing from the beeches 

 to some place of deposit. They hid the nuts in almost 

 every conceivable situation. Many were placed in cav- 

 ities in partly decayed trees; and the felling of an old 

 beech was certain to provide a feast for the children. 

 Large handfuls were taken from a single knot hole. They 

 were often found under a patch of raised bark, and single 

 nuts were driven into cracks in the bark. Others were 

 thrust into cracks in gate-posts; and a favorite place of 

 deposit was behind long slivers on fence-posts. In a few 

 cases grains of corn were mixed with beechnuts. Nuts 

 were often driven into cracks in the end of railroad ties, 

 and the birds were often seen on the roofs of houses 

 pounding nuts into crevices between the shingles. In sev- 

 eral instances the space formed by a board springing away 

 from a fence was nearly filled with nuts, and afterwards 

 pieces of bark and wood were brought and driven over 

 the nuts as if to hide them from poachers." ^ 



In summer, Dr. Merriam has seen the redheads "make 

 frequent sallies into the air after passing insects, which 

 were almost invariably secured." He has also seen them 

 catch grasshoppers on the ground in a pasture. 



They are cheerful, active birds, with a call like that of 

 a giant tree-toad. Their brilliant plumage has unfortu- 

 nately made them a good target for sportsmen. 



^ Bulletin No. 37, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Biological Survey. 

 = The Auk, IV, 194, 195, 1887. 0. P. Hay. 



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