WOODPECKERS 



Pigeon Woodpecker and Yellow-hammer seem 

 to be the most universal. They have the undu- 

 lating flight common to all Woodpeckers and 

 show the white rump patch conspicuously when 

 flying. They are often found on the ground in 

 pastures or on side hills, feeding upon ants; 

 they are more terrestrial than any others of 

 the family. They nest anywhere, where they 

 can flnd or make a suitable cavity for the re- 

 ception of their eggs ; in trees in woods or sol- 

 itary trees in large pastures, in apple trees in 

 orchards, in fence posts, in holes under the 

 roofs of buildings, etc. They ordinarily lay 

 from five to ten very glossy eggs, but it has 

 been found that they will continue laying, if 

 one egg is removed from the nest at a time. 

 until in one case seventy-one eggs were secur- 

 ed. Fresh eggs may be found at any time from 

 May until August, as they frequently raise two 

 broods a season. Size of eggs, 1.10 x .90 with 

 considerable variations. 



4l!2a. Northern P'licker. Colaptrs aiira- 

 tus luteus. 



Range.- — Whole of North America, east of the Rockies, except the southeast- 

 ern portion. 



Averaging larger than the preceding, but individual specimens of the north- 

 ern variety are frequently found to be even smaller than the southern, and vice 

 versa, making the distinction one of the study rather than Nature. 



413. Red-shafted Flicker. 

 Colaptes cafer collaris. 



Range. — United States west of the Rockies. 



This species is marked similarly to the pre- 

 ceding, but the top of the head is brownish in- 

 stead of gray, and the underparts of the wings 

 and tail, and their quills are reddish. Neither 

 sex has the red crescent 

 on the back of the head, 

 except in the case of hy- 

 brids between the two 

 species, but the male has 

 red moustache marks. 

 There are no differences ;;„::, 



in the nidification be- '' '' 



tween this species and 

 the preceding, but the White 



eggs of this average a trifle larger (1.15x.90). 



ted-sluifted Flicker 



1 13a. Northwestern Fucker. Colapics 

 cafer saturatior. 



Range. — Pacific coast, breeding from Oregon to Alaska. 



This is a much darker variety of the Red-shafted Flicker, but its nesting habits 

 or eggs do not differ in any way. 



259 



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