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 find 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. 



412a. Northern Flicker. 

 tus luteus. 



Colaptes aura- 



Northern Flicker 



Range. — Whole of North America, east of the Rockies, ex» epl the soutl 

 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. 



Ked tiafted Flicker 



1 1 .1. I! ED SH \ 1 TKI> l'l.M KER. 



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 

 has the red crescenl 



en the hack of the head 

 except in the case of h\ 



brids betweeu the two 



species, hut the male has 

 red moustache marks. 

 There arc qo different 



in the nidilicat inn lie 

 tween this species and 

 tin- preceding, but the 



of this average a trifle larger (1.15 x .8 



1 13a \..i; l HWESTERN Fl.ICKER. < 'olaptt 



cafer saturatior. 



Range. Pacific coast, breeding from Oregon to Alaska. 

 This is a much darker variety of tie R< d hafted Flicker, bul Iti nesting habit: 

 do not differ in anj waj , 





