S6 



DOWNY WOODPECKERS are the 

 most abundant of our woodpeckers and 

 are resident throughout the year. They 

 have a larger relative In the Hairy 

 Woodpecker from which they can be 

 distinguished not only by their smaller 

 size but because the outer tail feathers 

 of the present species have a few black 

 spots while those of the larger bird 

 are pure Avhite. 



Downies are sociable, especially in 

 winter, when they often hunt over the 

 trees in our dooryards and visit lunch 

 counters tliat kind people keep well 

 stocked witli suet and nuts. In sum- 

 mer, they take up their abodes in orch- 

 ards, young woods or trees along road- 

 sides. Their nesting sites are usually 

 excavated by themselves and the en- 

 trance hole is a very small one, appear- 

 ing much too small for the birds, al- 

 though tliey can pass in easily. If they 

 are not disturbed during the breeding, 

 tliey will continue to use the same nest 

 for several years. Their four or five 

 eggs are white, as are those of all spe- 

 cies of woodpeckers. 



Handsomely plumaged SAPSUCKERS are sometimes 

 abundant during migrations^ and a few nest in some of our 

 mountains. The males can easily be recognized^ since the 

 crown and the throat are crimson, each bordered with black; 

 the female is similar^ but the throat is white. Instead of 

 having the usual hard-tipped woodpecker tongue, adapted 

 to spearing insects and drawing them from their retreats, 

 the tijD of that of this species is rather brushy in character 

 and is adapted to lap up sap that oozes from numerous per- 

 forations that they make through the inner bark of trees 

 for that purpose. On the whole, Sapsuckers must be re- 

 garded as rather destructive birds, although they make up 

 for the loss they occasion by eating many insects at certain 

 seasons. Their call note is a harsh scream, and is uttered 

 very frequently during sjDring. 



HAIRY WOODPECKERS are larger, but almost iden- 

 tical in plimiage to DoMny Woodpeckers, the most notice- 

 able difference being in the fact that the outer tail feathers 

 of this species are pure white while those of the Downy 

 have a few black spots. The Hairy is more shy than the 

 Downy and is not nearly as abundant. They frequent 

 larger growth woods and rarely come about dwellings, as 

 the smaller species do. They remain M'ith us all winter and 



