WOODPECKERS: Family Picidae [ 377 ] 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from British Columbia and Alberta south to north- 

 eastern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Winters south to central 

 Mexico and Lower California. In Oregon: Regular but not common resident and 

 breeding bird of eastern slope of Cascades, Blue Mountains, and timbered parts of 

 isolated ranges in eastern Oregon. 



THE RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, the handsome representative of the familiar 

 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, was first listed for Oregon by Bendire (1877), 

 who found a nest containing good-sized young, June 12., 1875, ^ n tne 

 Blue Mountains. He stated: 



Their nests are in aspens, and generally inaccessible. I noticed three in the season of 1876 

 in such situations, too late for their eggs. 



The authors and Dr. W. B. Bell discovered a nest containing large young 

 in an aspen thicket on Hart Mountain, June 15, 192.6, and in the Braly 

 collection there is a set of five eggs taken at Beattie, Klamath County, 

 May 2.5, 1930. The birds arrive in April (earliest date, April 8, Klamath 

 County) and remain until October (latest date, October 19, Harney 

 County). We have no winter records, but Bendire (i895a) occasionally 

 observed the birds in Harney Valley in winter, and Woodcock (1901) 

 reported two January records for Baker County in 1896 on the authority 

 of Robert W. Haines. There are no recent winter records. Eastern Oregon 

 observers should keep on the lookout for winter specimens. 



In common with other sapsuckers, this one drills rows of neat square 

 holes in the bark of various species of trees to collect the exuding sap or 

 the small insects that gather about it, or both. If it were more abundant, 

 the species might do some economic damage, but it is too scarce to cause 

 any concern. 



Northern Red-breasted Sapsucker: 

 Sphyrapicus varius ruber (Gmelin) 



DESCRIPTION. Similar to southern Red-breasted Sapsucker but red of a darker 

 shade and belly olive yellow. Si%e: About as southern Red-breasted Sapsucker. 

 Nest: In holes in living trees. Eggs: 5 or 6, white. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from Alaska south to western Oregon. Winters 

 south to central California. In Oregon: Permanent resident of Willamette Valley 

 and Coast Mountains. 



THE RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER is such a striking bird that it is well known 

 to most residents of western Oregon. Most highly colored of resident 

 woodpeckers, it excites admiration and interest whenever seen. Like the 

 other sapsuckers, it is a comparatively quiet bird except during the 

 mating season when it becomes quite noisy. Johnson (1880) listed it as 

 a breeding bird of the Willamette Valley, the first printed record of the 

 present subspecies that we have found. Anthony (1886) and Bendire 

 (1889!)) also reported it as a breeding bird of that territory, and Bendire 



