NORTHERN RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER 151 



SPHYRAPICUS VARIUS RUBER (Gmelin) 

 NORTHERN RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER 

 HABITS 



The northern race of the red-breasted sapsucker breeds from 

 Alaska southward to western Oregon, chiefly in the Canadian Zone. 

 Ridgway (1914) says that it is "similar to" the southern race, "but 

 slightly larger and with coloration darker and brighter; the red of 

 the head, neck, and chest averaging brighter, and whitish spots 

 on back usually smaller (sometimes obsolete)." 



Bendire (1895) says of its haunts: 



Throughout its range I think this species breeds frequently at lower alti- 

 tudes than SpJiyrapicus varius nuchalis. Fort Klamath, however, although 

 but 4,200 feet above sea level, has a very cool summer climate, frosts occurring 

 in almost every month in the year. The surrounding country is very beauti- 

 ful at that time. Heavy, open forests of stately pines and firs, among these 

 the graceful and beautiful sugar pine, are found on the mountain sides and 

 reaching well down into the green, park-like valleys. Interspersed here and 

 there are aspen groves of various extent, their silvery trunks and light-green 

 foliage blending artistically with the somber green of the pines. These aspen 

 groves are the summer home of the Red-breasted Sapsucker. 



Spring. — In the vicinity of Fort Klamath, Oreg., Bendire (1895) 

 found this sapsucker to be "an abundant summer resident" and says : 



They are among the earliest birds to arrive in the spring. The first bird of 

 this species shot by me, in the spring of 1883, was obtained on March 13, and 

 I have seen a few as late as November. On one of my collecting trips, the 

 morning of April 4, 1883, while riding through a patch of pine timber, near 

 Wood River, the principal stream running through the center of Klamath 

 Valley, I noticed a flock of these birds, at least twenty in number. They 

 were very noisy, apparently glad to get back to their summer homes, and 

 seemed to have an excellent time generally, flying from tree to tree and calling 

 to each other. 



As I wanted a couple of specimens, I vpas compelled to disturb their jollifica- 

 tion ; those procured were both males, and presumably the entire flock belonged 

 to this sex. By April 20 they had become very common, and some pairs at 

 least were mated and had already selected their future domiciles, in every 

 case a good-sized live aspen tree. The males might at that time be heard in 

 almost all directions drumming on some dry limb, generally the dead top of 

 one of these trees. They scarcely seemed to do anything else. 



Nesting. — He says of the nesting habits in the Klamath Valley: 



As far as my own observations go, healthy, smooth-barked aspens are always 

 selected as suitable nesting sites by these birds. The trees used vary from 12 

 to 18 inches in diameter near the ground, and taper very gradually. The cavity 

 is usually excavated below the first limb of the tree, say from 15 to 25 feet 

 from the ground. The entrance hole seems to be ridiculously small for the 

 size of the bird — perfectly circular, from 1^ to ll^ inches in diameter only — 

 so small, indeed, that it seems as if it took considerable effort for the bird to 

 squeeze himself in and wriggle out of the hole. 



