204 BULLETIN 174, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



They chase each other on wing in a very amicable manner, in long, beauti- 

 fully curved sweeps, during which the remarkable variety of their plumage 

 becomes conspicuous, and is highly pleasing to the eye. When passing from 

 one tree to another, their flight resembles the motion of a great swing, and is 

 performed by a single opening of the wings, descending at first, and rising 

 towards the spot on which they are going to alight with ease, and in the most 

 graceful manner. They move upwards, sidewise, or backwards, without ap- 

 parent effort, but seldom with the head downwards. * * * 



On the ground, this species is by no means awkward, as it hops there with 

 ease, and secures beetles which it had espied whilst on the fence or a tree. 



Ked-lieaded woodpeckers are quite quarrelsome at times with other 

 species; besides attacking various small birds, driving them away 

 from their nests, or robbing them of their eggs or young, they con- 

 tend with other hole-nesting birds, such as starlings and the smaller 

 woodpeckers, for the possession of nesting holes. They are jealous 

 of their food supply and will drive other birds away from their 

 favorite feeding places or from any choice morsel of food. They 

 are generally the winners in such encounters, even against such 

 aggressive rivals as blue jays and starlings. But toward birds of 

 their own species they are often solicitous, friendly, and helpful to 

 birds in trouble. Mr. DuBois writes to me: "A wounded female, 

 after several attempts to fly, fluttered to the ground; and while she 

 was fluttering in the air, her mate flew to her and apparently tried 

 to help her to a place of safety. After reaching the ground, the 

 female lay still in the grass, although only winged; but her mate 

 clung to a nearby tree, from which he flew down to her repeatedly, 

 showing great distress." 



H. M. Holland (1931) tells the following story: 



A red-head was caught by one wing, and possibly a foot, in a crack formed 

 at the tip of a tall, dead tree where the trunk had been broken off and left 

 a splintered stub. Perhaps a dozen red-heads were present, all flying here 

 and there, evidently much excited, and make a great ado, a veritable wood- 

 pecker hubbub. 



First one and then another would alight just below and apparently peck at, 

 or more often while in flight would strike or brush against the hapless victim, 

 whose struggles were renewed at each encounter. The clamor became actually 

 distressing. At times two or three were simultaneously fluttering close to the 

 captive. These activities continued for several minutes when suddenly the 

 bird was freed, to accomplish which it would seem that a concerted effort had 

 been made. Quiet was restored almost at once and the participants dispersed. 



Julian K. Potter (1912) noticed that sparrows bothered his wood- 

 peckers considerably about their roosting holes and saw one of them 

 fighting two starlings for the possession of a cavity, but all were 

 eventually driven away and learned the lesson of "no trespass." He 

 says : "On one occasion, when I watched the woodpeckers until dark, 

 I found that one went to roost in the nesting-hole about dusk, and 

 the other, probably the male, shortly after went into an old hole in 

 the same dead tree higher up." 



