154 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



do return, year after year, to the same nesting 

 site. And in the case of this Sapsucker definite 

 identification might be possible througli some 

 individual peculiarity if, as Mr. Sclater says, the 

 male does most of the work both of excavation 

 and of incubation. Mr. Sclater also says, " When 

 the female is on the nest, he [the male] sits on a 

 branch nearby and warns her of danger by a 

 special tapping." 



The bird's characteristic cry resembles the syl- 

 lables huit, huit, according to one transliteration 



of them. Generally speaking, the species is rather 

 silent and shy, and is likely to work and stay 

 near the tops of tall trees. Its hammering is 

 less vigorous than that of other Woodpeckers, 

 and is described by Mr. Torrey as " curiously 

 slow, distinctive drum-taps." 



The Williamson's Sapsucker eats ants and 

 cambium, the former being the chief item in its 

 animal diet and the latter taking the same place 

 among its vegetable foods. It is of little eco- 

 nomic interest except in connection with forests. 



PILEATED WOODPECKER 

 PhlcEOtomus pileatus pileatus (LInncrus) 



A. O. U. Number 405 See Color Plate 6j 



Other Names.— Logcock ; Great Black Woodpecker ; 

 Cock of the Woods; Wood Hen; Wood Cock; Great 

 God Woodpecker ; Good God Woodpecker ; Lord God 

 Woodpecker ; Wood Kate. 



General Description. — Length, 15 to 19 inches. 

 Phimage, slate-black with white and red markings. 

 Head with conspicuous crest; bill, longer than head 

 with wedge-like tip ; outer hind toe shorter than outer 

 front toe. 



Color. — Adult M.\le: Crown, including conspicu- 

 ous crest, bright poppy-red, approaching crimson on 

 forehead; a rather narrow stripe of yellowish-white 

 behind eye and beneath this a broad stripe of slate color 

 involving also space below eye (narrowly) and rear of 

 loral region; upper portion of nasal tufts, grayish with 

 terminal portion of bristle-like feathers, blackish, this 

 connected with the slate color around eyes by a narrow 

 line of dusky; lower portion of nasal tufts, dull pale 

 yellowish; a sharply defined stripe along lower portion 

 of lores, dull yellow passing gradually into yellowish- 

 white at rear where forming a broad band beneath the 

 slaty ear area, thence extending downward along side 

 of neck to under wing-coverts, which, together with 



basal half (approximately) of inner webs of wing 

 feathers, are yellowish-white; cheeks, crimson for 

 greater part, the rear portion, dark slate color or black- 

 ish slate ; chin and throat, white or yellowish-white, 

 sometimes streaked or suffused behind or centrally with 

 grayish ; rest of plumage, plain sooty slate-black or 

 blackish-slate, the under parts slightly lighter ; feathers 

 of sides and flanks margined terminally with whitish ; 

 basal portion of outer webs of wings, white or yellow- 

 ish-white, that on secondaries usually concealed by 

 greater coverts, that on primaries showing as a small 

 but distinct area beyond tip of primary coverts; bill, 

 slate color ; iris, cream-yellow ; naked eye skin, grayish 

 olive ; legs and feet with scales black, the interspaces 

 pale gray or whitish. Adult Female : Similar to the 

 adult male, but forehead and front half of crozvn, gray- 

 ish-brozvn or olive and check region slate color. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: In a dead tree or tall 

 stump, occasionally in the solid trunk of a living tree, 

 usually a coniferous tree, 12 to 80, usually 40 to 50, 

 feet from the ground. Eggs : 3 to 6, white. 



Distribution. — Wooded regions of North America, 

 mainly east of the Rocky Mountains. 



Next to the rare Ivory-billed, this is the largest 

 of all North American Woodpeckers. Formerly 

 the birds were of wide distribution in the heavily 

 wooded sections of the country, but they have 

 now disappeared from many jjarts of the eastern 

 LTnited States. When found they are usually in 

 regions of original forest growth, rarely being 

 seen where the woods have been once cut over. 

 The nest of this species is excavated in a dead 



tree or tall stump, occasionally a living tree is 

 used if a knot-hole or dead spot affords a con- 

 venient i)lace in which to begin to dig. Not in- 

 frequently the hole is dug to a depth of three 

 feet or more. To perform such a task requires 

 time, and often as much as a month must pass 

 before the two birds v^'orking alternately are able 

 to complete their enterprise. I have found their 

 nests at distances varying from eighteen to 



