230 Birds of Colorado 



east casually to western Kansas, breeding chiefly from Colorado 

 northwards. 



In Colorado the Red-naped Sapsucker is a common summer bird 

 in the mountains, breeding in the aspens chiefly from 8,000 to 10,000 

 feet. It occasionally extends up as high as 12,000 feet, at which eleva- 

 tion it was observed by Rothrock in South Park (Henshaw). It 

 appears to be only found on the jjlains on migration, arriving from 

 the south towards the end of April (April 25th, Gale), and departing 

 again in September. 



The following are some breeding notices : Estes Park (Bendire), 

 Boulder co. (Gale), Breckenridge (Carter), Twin Lakes (Scott), Fort 

 Garland (Goss), Mesa co., 8,000 to 9,000 feet (Rockwell), and La 

 Plata CO. (Morrison). It was noticed on migration at Barr (Hersey & 

 Rockwell), in El Paso co., in April and May, by Allen and Brewster, 

 and there is an example from the same county taken in September 

 in the Aiken collection. 



Habits. — ^The Sapsuckers get their name from their 

 habit of boring tiny gimlet-holes through the bark of 

 trees, in order to allow the sap to run ; this not only 

 attracts insects but is itself greedily drunk. Sometimes 

 trees are entirely girdled by rows of small holes, and 

 considerable injury is caused, especially to fruit trees. 



This bird is seldom found among the pines ; it keeps 

 to the deciduous trees, especially to the groves of 

 " quaking aspens " {Populus tremuloides) which clothe 

 patches of the mountain sides. 



Gale investigated and took a very large number of 

 nests and eggs in the hills of Boulder co. In almost 

 every case the nest-hole was bored in a live aspen tree. 

 These, though apparently sound, are nearly always 

 decayed in the centre. The bird has to chisel through 

 the tough outer zone of two or three inches, after which 

 its task is an easy one. The cavity is usually gourd- 

 shaped and is completed in six to ten days, chiefly by 

 the female bird. It is situated from five to thirty feet 

 up from the ground, at elevations of from 7,000 to 

 10,000 feet. Four or five pure white ovate eggs. 



