ONTARIO 



Genus MELANERPES Swainson. 



Subgenus MELANERPES. 



167. MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS (Linn.). 406. 



Red-headed Woodpecker. 



Glossy blue-black ; rump, secondaries and under-parts from the breast 

 pure white ; primaries and tail feathers black ; whole head, neck and breast 

 crimson in both sexes, grayish-brown in the young ; about 9 ; wing, 5^ ; 

 tail, si 



Hab. United States, west to the Rocky Mountains, straggling westward 

 to Salt Lake Valley ; rare or local east of the Hudson River. 



Nest, in a hole in a tree, varying greatly in height. 



Eggs, 4 to 6 ; white. 



In Ontario the Red-headed Woodpecker is a summer 

 resident only, arriving early in May and leaving again in 

 September. It is quite common and perhaps the best known 

 of any of the W-oodpeckers, both on account of its decided 

 markings, and from its habit of visiting the orchard during the 

 season of ripe fruit. It is also an expert fly-catcher, frequentlv 

 taking its position on the top of a dead pine, from which it 

 darts out after the passing insect m true fly-catcher style. 

 Though a very show^y bird when seen in the woods, it does not 

 look so well in collections, the red of the head evidentl}' fading 

 after death. 



Subgenus CENTURUS Swainson. 



168. MELANERPES CAROLINUS (Linn.). i01». 



Red-bellied Woodpecker. 



Back and wings, except larger quills, closely banded with black and 

 white ; primaries with large white blotches near the base, and usually a few 

 smaller spots. Whole crown and nape scarlet in the male, partly so in the 

 J'emalc ; sides of head and underparts grayish -white, usually with a yellow 

 shade, reddening on belly ; flanks and crissum with sagittate-black marks ; 



169 



