320 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YO SEMITE 



Occurrence. — Common resident in Lower and Upper Sonoran zones, west of main 

 Sierra Nevada. Eecorded from Snelling and Lagrange eastward to El Portal; casual 

 in Yosemite Valley. Frequents oaks, digger pines, and to a lesser extent cottonwoods 

 and willows. 



The Nuttall Woodpecker differs in liabits from the slightly smaller 

 Willow Woodpecker in that it usually frequents sititations far from water, 

 typically those on the upper hill slopes. At Snelling this species was 

 seen only in cottonwoods, probably because these were the only trees there 

 affording it appropriate forage. But at Pleasant Valley, Mount Bullion, 

 and El Portal the birds were in digger pines and blue oaks. On the morn- 

 ing of May 24, during the taking of a five hour census at Pleasant Valley, 

 a dozen were seen. Some of these showed solicitude and were probably 

 nesting in the vicinity. The call of the Nuttall Woodpecker is louder and 

 more sustained than that of the Willow Woodpecker. 



The species was noted at the mouth of Indian Caiion in Yosemite Valley 

 throughout almost the entire months of November and December, 1920 

 (C. W. Michael, MS). 



Northern White-headed Woodpecker 

 Xenopicus albolarvatus albolarvatus (Cassin) 



Field characters. — Size somewhat under that of robin. Plumage wholly black, save 

 for entirely white head (pi. 5^) and white area on wing, the latter showing best in 

 flight. Flight course undulating, wing strokes intermittent. Voice: Usually a single- 

 syllabled high-pitched note, ivieJc; this note, or a similar one, repeated in short staccato 

 series when bird is excited. 



Occurrence. — Common resident in Transition and Canadian zones on west slope of 

 Sierra Nevada. Observed from Sweetwater Creek (near Feliciana Mountain) and Smith 

 Creek (6 miles east of Coulterville) east to Mono Meadow and near North Dome; not 

 common in Yosemite Valley. Forages chiefly on living coniferous trees, but nests in 

 dead stubs, usually less than 12 feet above the ground. 



The Northern White-headed Woodpecker is a conspicuous member of 

 the bird population at middle altitudes in the central Sierra Nevada. In 

 certain places in the Yosemite region it is the commonest species of wood- 

 pecker. For example, near Chinquapin, on June 13, 1915, 12 of these 

 birds were recorded during the taking of a seven hour census, while only 

 4 other woodpeckers were seen, each of which represented a different 

 species. 



The black body and white head of the White-headed Woodpecker as 

 seen from behind are distinctive. (See pi. 5g.) A side view of the bird 

 when it is clinging to a tree shows a narrow white stripe along the folded 

 wing. When the bird flies this stripe expands, forming an irregular 

 white patch on the middle of the wing. Adult males have a narrow band 



