NUTT ALL'S WOODPECKER 89 



16.27 millimeters; the eccfs showing the four extremes measure 

 25.0 by 16.0, 23.3 by 17.0, 19.30 by 15.75, and 19.7 by 14.6 millimeters. 

 Young. — The period of incubation is said to be about 14 days, and 

 to be shared by both sexes. Mr. Dawson (1923) says: 



The male Nnttall not only takes a lively interest in all matters connected 

 with the nesting, but it is believed that he monopolizes the task of excavation. 

 Certainly he takes his turn at incubating, and he is invariably, in my experi- 

 ence, the more valiant of the two in defense of young. The female, however, 

 is probably the closer sitter, as there are several instances in which she has 

 submitted to the hand rather than forsake her trust. * * * When the 

 chicks are astir the father is fairly beside himself with joy and apprehension. 

 In fact, if you ever require a symbol of doting solicitude, picture a male Nuttall 

 woodpecker thrusting his head into a dark hole to make sure that nothing has 

 spilled out of it since his last inspection — which occurred exactly three seconds 

 ago. 



Plumages. — The young are hatched naked, as with other wood- 

 peckers, but the Juvenal plumage is acquired before the young leave 

 the nest. The young male, in ju venal plumage, has the forehead, 

 occiput, and nape uniform dull black, leaving only the crown scarlet, 

 spotted or speckled with white dots; the black bars on the back are 

 dull black and the white bars are grayish white, instead of clear 

 black and pure white, as in the adult ; these bars are also less clearly 

 defined than in the adult; the under parts are yellowish white, 

 spotted on the sides and flanks less distinctly than in the adult, and 

 with pale dusky, instead of clear black ; the wings and tail are as in 

 the adult. 



The young female is similar to the young male, except that the 

 red of the crown is more restricted and the forehead is streaked 

 with white. This plumage is, apparently, worn all through the first 

 summer ; I have seen young birds in this plumage as late as August 

 30. Probably early in fall a post ju venal molt produces a plumage 

 that is practically adult. I have been unable to learn anything 

 about the molts of adults. Ridgway (1914) says that spring males 

 have the "white streaks on forehead and crown much reduced in 

 size, sometimes obsolete, and red nuchal area more restricted, 

 through wearing off of red tips of feathers." The white streaks on 

 the crown of the adult female also wear away almost entirely during 

 winter, leaving the crown clear black. 



Food. — The food of Nuttall's woodpecker is very similar to that 

 of the downy and other small woodpeckers. Prof. F. E. L. Beal 

 (1911) summarizes it by saying: "In its animal food the Nuttall 

 woodpecker is beyond criticism. Practically all of the insects eaten 

 are either pests or of no positive benefit. While some fruit is eaten, 

 it consists largely, and perhaps entirely, of wild varieties. Prob- 

 ably the worst that can be said of the bird is that it helps in the 

 distribution of poison-oak seeds." 



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