WOODPECKERS: Family Picidae [ 375 ] 



Lewis's Woodpecker: 



Asyndesmus lewis Gray 



DESCRIPTION. "Adults: Under parts iridescent greenish black except for gray collar; 

 face dull crimson; throat and chest gray changing to soft rose on belly; plumage of 

 lower parts harsh and hairlike. Young: head without red, neck without collar, 

 under parts with less red [Plate 69, A]. Length: 10.50-11.50, wing 6.50-6.80, tail 

 4.40-4.70." (Bailey) Nest.- In trees of many kinds, at almost any height. Eggs: 

 6 to 7, white. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: From British Columbia and southern Alberta to Arizona 

 and New Mexico and from Black Hills west to Pacific. In Oregon: Summer resident 

 in every part of State. Winters more or less regularly in Columbia, Snake, John 

 Day, and Willamette Valleys and more commonly in Umpqua and Rogue River 

 Valleys. 



THE STRIKING red and dark bronzy green Lewis's Woodpecker is an 

 exceedingly familiar sight in Oregon from timber line on the highest 

 peaks to the straggling growth of willows and cottonwoods along the 

 stream beds of the eastern part of the State. There is much in its behavior 

 and actions reminiscent of the Red-headed Woodpecker of the Eastern 

 States. It has the same trick of sitting on fence posts and telephone poles 

 and the identical habit of catching insects, both by short sallies from 

 the high perch and by more intricate aerial evolutions amid the insect 

 swarms. It is also fond of the oak groves, athough it is by no means so 

 closely associated with them as the California Woodpecker. It nests in 

 May and June. The dates at which eggs have been taken vary from May 

 12. to June 2.9. Nests are usually high above the ground and difficult of 

 access. 



Townsend collected the first Oregon specimen, September 2.2., 1834, 

 along the Columbia River (Baird, Cassin, and Lawrence 1858), and Dr. 

 Suckley (Cooper and Suckley 1860) obtained two others at The Dalles, 

 January 9, 1855. Since that time nearly every writer on Oregon birds has 

 had something to say about this abundant species. Newberry (1857) 

 noted its habit of congregating at and near timber line in the fall months 

 to compete with the robins and bluebirds in harvesting the ripening 

 crop of mountain-ash berries. 



Red-naped Sapsucker: 



Spkyrapicus varius nuchalis Baird 



DESCRIPTION. "Adult male: Upper parts black, thickly marked with white; wing 

 coverts plain black, with wide white outer stripe; head with red crown and red nuchal 

 patch separated by a plain black area; sides of head with white stripes; chest black between 

 red throat and pale yellow belly. Adult female: similar, but duller, and black chest 

 patch mostly mottled gray. Young: duller, red of head and throat wholly wanting 

 or only suggested by pale claret-colored tinge. Length: 8.00-8.75, wing (male) 4.91- 

 5.10, tail 3.10-3.40, bill .95-1.02.." (Bailey) Nest: Usually in an aspen tree, in 

 this State, 5 to zo feet from the ground. Eggs: 4 or 5, white. 



