WESTERN BIRDS Woodpecker 



of man and after nesting duties are over stray down 

 into the valleys. All members of this tribe are restless, 

 flying quickly from tree to tree, and are also rather 

 noisy, their call being a high-pitched note, which is 

 sometimes repeated rapidly in a long rattling call which 

 is its nearest approach to a song. However, Woodpeckers 

 are interesting enough without singing. Music from 

 these large, clumsy birds, many of whom delight in the 

 solitude of the forest, would seem quite out of place. 

 And, too, one can hardly conceive of real music coming 

 from a beak that conceals a barbed weapon. 



Both birds dig at the nest-building and help with the 

 brooding. From three to six white eggs are laid. The 

 young resemble their parents except that they have a 

 red patch on the top of the head. 



GENUS DRYOBATES : WILLOW WOOD- 

 PECKER. 



Willow Woodpecker: Dry abates pubescens turati. 

 FAMILY— WOODPECKERS. 



All bird lovers are familiar with the little Downy 

 Woodpecker of the east, a bird whose place is taken in 

 California by the Willow, in the southern part of the 

 State, and a similar bird which is known as Gairdner's 

 north of Mendocino County. 



These little birds are about six and one-half inches 

 long, have upper parts black, save for whitish foreheads, 

 white stripe down back, and red patch at back of head 

 (nape). Sometimes a few white markings on wings; 

 outer tail feathers white, barred with black, under parts 

 white. The scarlet patch at the back of the crown is 

 lacking in the female, while the young differ, only, in 

 having the top of the head, red. The black bars on the 



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