212 BULLETIN 174, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Kerrville). From these regions the species is found south through 

 both eastern and western Mexico (including Baja California) and 

 other Central American countries, at least to central Colombia. 



Several subspecies of this woodpecker are found only in Central 

 and South America, but three varieties occur regularly in the United 

 States, while two others are confined to Baja California. The true 

 ant-eating woodpecker {B. f. formicivoTo)^ which ranges through 

 eastern and southern Mexico, is found also in south-central Texas 

 (Chisos Mountains and Kerrville). Mearns's woodpecker {B. f. acu- 

 leata) occupies the range in Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas 

 (Fort Davis) south through the Mexican States of Sonora, Chi- 

 huahua, and Durango. The California woodpecker {B. f. hairdi) 

 is found in the Pacific coast region from Oregon south to northern 

 Baja California. In this Mexican State the narrow- fronted wood- 

 pecker {B. f. angustifrons) is confined to the region of Cape San 

 Lucas, while the San Pedro woodpecker {B. f. martireTisis) is found 

 in the northwestern part of the area nearly to the United States 

 border. 



Egg dates. — Arizona : 9 records. May 10 to June 10. 



California: 66 records, April 2 to June 15; 33 records, April 20 

 to May 15, indicating the height of the season. Second and third 

 broods have been found in September and October. 



Baja California: 4 records, May 10 to June 3. 



BALANOSPHYRA FORMICIVORA BAIRDI (Ridgway) 



CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER 



PI^TE 28 



HABITS 



The above common name is well chosen, as this is one of the com- 

 monest and most conspicuous birds throughout its range in Cali- 

 fornia. Anyone who spends much time afield in the valleys, foothills, 

 and canyons of southern and western California is sure to see this 

 strikingly colored and active woodpecker making itself conspicuous 

 among the oaks and pines; and, where one is seen, there are almost 

 sure to be others, for it is a sociable species. 



Referring to the Lassen Peak region, Grinnell, Dixon, and Linsdale 

 (1930) say: 



Two environmental factors of seeming importance for the presence of this 

 bird were an available supply of acorns and wood or bark of sorts into which 

 the birds could bore storage holes. As to species of oak, out of the six or more 

 present, our impression remains that no outstanding choice by the woodpeckers 

 was shown. About as many of the birds were seen among the black oaks in the 

 vicinity of Payne Creek P. O., as among the valley oaks around Cone's. How- 

 ever, tracks of black oaks recurred east of the main mountain mass in the 

 section, as along the upper Susan River and near Eagle Lake, where no Cali- 

 fornia woodpeckers were ever seen by us. To repeat, none of this species of 



