WOODPECEEES 



335 



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The pileated woodpecker is conspicuous either in flight or when 

 perched. When a bird is at rest or working on the side of a dead stub, 

 its brilliant red crest can generally be seen plainly. In the female the 

 forehead is blackish, while in the male the red covers the whole top of the 

 head, forward to the bill. The latter sex has, in 

 li^f, > addition, a narrow red streak extending backward 



' from the side of the bill along each cheek. The 



neck of this woodpecker is much longer and rela- 

 tively more slender than that of other species, and 

 this impression of slenderness is enhanced by the 

 streak of white which extends 

 down each side from the cheek 

 to the side of the body; other- 

 wise the plumage of the rest- 

 ing bird appears solidly black. 

 When it takes to flight a large 

 white area shows forth, inter- 

 mittently, on the forward part 

 of the under surface of the 

 spread wing, and on the adjacent 

 side of the body ; a smaller 

 patch of white is to be seen as 

 well on the middle of the upper 

 surface of the \Aang. 

 The call or alarm note of the pileated woodpecker is a single-syllabled, 

 low-pitched but loud kuli, kuk, kuk, etc., uttered in series, at intervals of 

 a half-second or more, depending upon whether the bird is in flight or 

 perched. Sometimes, when a bird is pursuing a long direct course, its 

 notes will be heard from the time it first comes into view until it passes 

 out of hearing in the opposite direction. The call resembles one of the 

 notes of the Red-shafted Flicker, although it is not so high-pitched. 



This bird's flight is quite different from that of our other woodpeckers. 

 It ordinarily pursues a direct course, with Avings beating continuously 

 though slowly, in a manner resembling the monoplane-like flight of a 

 magpie. Its head meanwhile is drawn in, somewhat after the manner 

 of a heron. 



While one of our party was traversing the Glacier Point road near 

 Mono Meadow on the morning of June 13, 1915, he heard a loud pounding 

 which he at first thought might be the noise made by a lineman in repairing 

 the broken-down telephone wire along the road. The racket was followed 

 up — and the observer came upon a pileated woodpecker foraging on a white 

 fir stub. The bird delivered 3 to 8 vigorous blows in rather slow succes- 



Fig. 46. Head of Northern Pileated Wood- 

 pecker showing stout ridged bill, ' * mask ' ' to 

 keep dust from rotten wood out of nostrils, 

 prominent crest, and slender neck. One-half 

 natural size. 



