WOODPECKERS 209 



Nest. — Usually in dead trees or stumps rarely above 8 feet from the 

 ground. Eggs : generally 4, white. 



Food. — Almost wholly wood-boring insects and larvae. 



"The arctic three-toec woodpecker is essentially a bird of the 

 pine, spruce, tir, and tamarack forests, and is rarely seen in other 

 localities. It is generally a resident, rarely migrating to any distance. 

 . . . Like the hairy woodpecker, they are persistent drummers, rat- 

 tling away for minutes ut a time on some dead limb, and are espe- 

 cially active during the mating season in April. I have located more 

 than one specimen by traveling in the direction of the sound when 

 it was fully half a mile ;iway." ' (Bendire.) 



401. Picoides americanus Brehm. American Three-toed Wood- 

 pecker. 



Adult male. — Upper parts mainly black, with whitish nuchal band and 

 light spotting or barring on head and back ; wing quills lightly barred with 

 white, outer tail feathers mainly plain white ; crown with yellow patch, 

 back of head glossed with blue ; under parts white, sides and flanks barred 

 with black. Adidt female : similar, but without yellow on crown. Length: 

 9, wing 4.40-4.00, tail :^. 10-3.75, bill 1.10-1.25. 



Distribution. — Northern North America east of the Rocky Mountains ; 

 soutli to the northern border of the United States. 



Nest. — In holes in coniferous trees, 4 to 12 feet from the ground. Eggs : 

 usually 4, white. 



Food. — Principally wood-boring insects and their larvae. 



The habits of the American are similar to those of the arctic 

 three-toed woodpecker, though it is considered by Mr. Williams of 

 Montana a much more silent bird, its calls resembling those of 

 Dnjohates rather than Picoides. 



401a. P. a. fasciatUS Baird. Alaskan Three-toed Woodpeckeb. 



.*^iiiiilar to /*. a. dorsalis. but back u.snally distinctly barred with black 

 (rarely continuously white along middle line), secondaries more distinctly 

 spotted with white (sometimes wing-covei-ts also spotted, more or less 

 numerously witli white), white spots on quills larger, and female some- 

 times with white prevailing on top of head. Lenqth: '.>.50, wing 4.50-4.70, 

 tail 3.10-3.75, bill 1.10-1.25. 



Distribution. — Alaska, south to northern Washington. 



401b. P. a. dorsalis baird. Ali-ink Thrk.k-tokd Woodpecker. 



Adult male. — Similar to americanus, but middle of bark continuously 

 white, mostly streaked ; side of head with two 

 conspicuous white stripes. Adult female: 

 similar, but browner, and under p.irts dingy 

 white; head withotit yellow patch, blue l)l.ick, „. ^nr 



lightly flecked with white. Young: like fe- '^' *" 



male, btit with more or less yellow streaking on crown. Length: 1>.50, 

 wing 4.0.5-5.00, tail 3.20-3.(55. bill 1.1-5-1. .30. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Uoreal zone from Arizona and New Mexico 



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