BIRDS OF MONTANA 



77 



this species in the state is the tiii])cr limit of tiu' Transition zone on tlu' western 

 slopes of the divide, lor the birds are found oidy in the heavy timbered forests 

 of Douglas fir and yellow ijim- of that zone. The southernmost records are in 

 the Bitterroot Valley, whei'e it is reported as rare (Bailey, MS), and about Gold 

 Creek and Pioneer in Powell ("ount.v (Saunders, 1912a, p. 26). The eastern rec- 

 ords are of one seen April 2."), 1SII4. and another August 12, 1S!)8, in Custer and 

 Dawson counties (Cameron, 11)117, |>. 27(t). While this species is found mainl.v 

 in the mountains, it is i-epoi'ted to occur in the Bitterroot Valley in winter 

 (liaile.v, JIS). There are no dates for the nesting of this species in the state, 



ig. 17. TltlNK OF A YKLI.OW PINE, SIIOWIN(i WOItK 

 OF TUF PU.KATFI) WooilI>F(KFli. YKFI.OW B.W, 



Flatiif.M) Lakk; scjuu'ii of 1916. Pnoro i;y 

 J. L. Sloanaker. 



and occupied nests have not been found and recorded. 1 have seen the nest 

 holes of this species at Flathead Lake high up in tall .yellow pines. 



it at first seems rather curious that the principal Jlontana lialtitat of this 

 species, which ranges east to the Atlantic in other states, is almost e.xaetly the 

 same as the breeding ranges of certain othei- distinctly western species, sueli as 

 the Townsend Warbler and the Chestnut-backed Chickadee. This is explained, 

 liowevei', by the i)reference of this woodjiecker for forests of large evergreen 

 trees, which grow onlv in the humid region of noi'thwestern .Montana, and are 



