Woodpecker WESTERN BIRDS 



by Sapsuckers a tree is surely doomed. But there is 

 probably no more than one tree in 500 that is appro- 

 priated by the birds. We usually located the nests by 

 watching the movements of the parent birds, which flew 

 from their foraging places, often far distant, direct to 

 the nest tree. The young uttered a whinnying chorus of 

 cries when fed, and the adults, though generally very 

 quiet, had a not loud explosive cry, more like the distant 

 squall of a red-tailed hawk." Grinnell records one male 

 that was going to the nest whose bill and throat was 

 crammed with large wood ants, "not the kind, however, 

 that are common at lower altitudes and smell so foully." 



From Dr. Grinnell's testimony of only one tree in 

 every five hundred being attacked by these birds, and 

 because in few places in their range are any of these 

 Sapsuckers very abundant, I do not believe that they 

 are doing any great harm in the west. 



While the right to destroy these birds should be given 

 to any one whose apple trees, or others, are really being 

 injured, the ordinary mortal who sees them about is 

 not justified in destroying them. 



GENUS MELANERPES: CALIFORNIA 

 WOODPECKER. 



California Woodpecker: Melanerpes formicivorus 



bairdi. 



FAMILY— WOODPECKERS. 



The California Woodpecker ranges along the western 

 coast from northwestern Oregon to Lower California and 

 is one of our commonest Woodpeckers. It is an extremely 

 showy bird, not because of much brilliancy, but rather 

 on account of its striking black and white head markings 

 and white eye. The feathers around the base of the bill 



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