Pileated Woodpecker 367 



birds, and even mammals, for l)rcccling purposes, I will state that on April 16, 

 IQ03, there were three species breeding in the same tree, namely — Pileated 

 Woodpecker, four eggs, at a height of 54 feet; Fox Squirrel, at 70 feet; and 

 Sparrow Hawk, at approximately 90 feet from the ground — all living together 

 in perfect harmony ! 



"If this bird is deprived of its first set of eggs, it at once excavates a new 

 hole, and the length of time consumed in its construction is about twenty- 

 five days/' 



The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the noisiest tenants of the heavy forests 

 and wooded swamps which il inhabits. Particularly is this true during the 

 mating-season and after the young have left the nest. They have a long roll- 

 ing cry which strongly suggests similar notes produced by the Flicker, except 

 that they are louder and the intervals between the calls are slightly longer. 

 At times they become extremely animated, and two or three will gather 

 on the trunk of some tree or the larger limbs and engage in querulous, 

 conversational, wick-y-up notes which again suggest the actions and calls of 

 the Flicker. 



In flight the bird does not proceed with the undulating movements common 

 to many Woodpeckers. The flight is more or less directed in a straight line. 

 The white underparts and the large white blotches on the wings contrast 

 strongly with the black back. The white wing-area shows so plainly that one 

 may often discover the bird flying at a distance by the heliostatic flashes of 

 white. 



Although, as already indicated, the food consists largely of an animal diet, 

 the bird also is fond of certain forms of wild berries, and it presents an awkward 

 and ungainly appearance as, in an uncertain and more or less laborious manner, 

 it seeks to retain its perch and gather berries among the small twigs. 



The Pileated Woodpecker is found over a wide range of North America. 

 From southern Florida, middle Texas and California it is distributed in suit- 

 able localities as far north as British Columbia, central Quebec and Newfound- 

 land. 



Of recent years, ornithologists have regarded the species as being composed 

 of two varieties, the Northern Pileated Woodpecker, embracing those indi- 

 viduals found along the Alleghany Mountains and northward throughout its 

 Canadian range. 



The bird has a variety of local names such as 'Cock-of-the-Woods,' and 

 'Log-Cock.' One of the most popular in the South is 'Good-God.' 



