220 WOODPECKERS 



Distribution. — Colorado River in southeastern California, southern Ari- 

 zona, and southwestern New Mexico ; south through Lower California to 

 Jalisco and western Mexico. 



Nest. — Mainly in giant cactus, but also in cottonwoods, sycamores, and 

 mesquites. Eggs : 8 to 5, white. 



Food. — Lizards, insects such as ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and larvae, 

 with giant cactus fruit and mistletoe berries. 



Major Bendire says that the general habits of the Gila woodpecker 

 are similar to those of the California woodpecker. Its ordinary call- 

 note he gives as dchl'irr dchilrr, and a flight note as huit huit., which 

 he says resembles the call-note of the phainopepla. In Arizona in 

 October, Mr. Bailey found two of the birds roosting in a tank every 

 night. 



GENUS COLAPTES. 



General Characters. — Bill acute, curved ; slender and weak for a wood- 

 pecker ; without lateral ridges or beveling ; nostrils not concealed by 

 nasal tufts ; outer hind toe shorter than outer front toe ; wings and tail 

 lengthened. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1 . Under sides of wings and tail red. 



2. Darker. Sitka to northern California . . . saturatior, p. 221. 



2'. Lighter. Western United States collaris, p. 221. 



r. Under side of wings and tail yellow. 

 2. Back of neck with red band. Eastern North America. 



luteus, p. 220. 

 2'. Back of neck without red band. Arizona and southward. 



chrysoides, p. 222. 



412a. Colaptes auratUS luteus Ban^rs. Northern Flicker. 



Adult male. — Upper parts brown, barred with black, except for red 



_ nuchal band, white rump, and black 



tail ; wings and tail wdth shafts and 



under side of feathers bright yellow; 



throat and sides of head pinkish 



brown, with black malar stripe or 



. " • mustache ' and black crescent on 



'^1 /_; chest; rest of under parts brownish 



j' i"«' white,washedwithyellowand spotted 



^ / with black. AduU female : similar, 



but without black mustache, though 



sometimes with faint indications of 



_^^3^ one. Young male: similar to adult 



-^^-J^^E. ''~ ^iT^^*'c ^^-^g;^^^ male, but crown marked with dull 



—'.^^r^ — , ^ -jifC red, nuchal band dull scarlet. Young 



"" — ~ female : with dark mustache. Male : 



From Biologieayurveyj^U. S. Dept. of ^^.^^^^ gjg^ ^^^q 4_Q9 g^posed culmen 



p. r,q^~ l.oo. Female: wing 6.06, tail 4, ex- 



posed culmen 1.25. 

 Distribution. — Eastern and northern North America, south to North 

 Carolina and west to the Rocky Mountains; occasional on the Pacific 

 slope from California northward. 



