130 BIRDS 



ing range is mucli farther nortli and it prefers live conif- 

 erous trees in which to excavate a nesting chamber. 



Like the rest of the family the Red-bellied "Wood- 

 pecker secures much of its food from beneath the bark 

 of trees ; it may be seen at all seasons spirally girdling 

 the tree trunks in search of insects and their larvae, often 

 interrupting this routine by darting after some winged 

 insects of its choice, as they fly near. 



These Woodpeckers do not visit fruit and berry 

 patches as often as the Red-head, and thus are far more 

 beneficial to the farmer than harmful to the orchardist. 



