MY HALF-BROTHER AND I 



A few people know me by the name, 

 Colaptes anratns, while a greater number 

 would recognize me when you say, 

 "Golden- winged Wood-pecker," but the 

 name that I like best and the one that 

 was given me by the boys and girls in 

 localities where I live is "Yellow-ham 

 mer." According to the Indian legend, 

 the Red-headed wood-pecker is my half- 

 brother, so what applies to his manner 

 of living also, in nearly all instances, 

 coincides with mine. You will find that 

 unless the winter season has been unus 

 ually severe, we did but little migrat 

 ing ; first for the reason that we prepare a 

 food supply during the autumn months, 

 consisting of acorns and soft-shelled 

 nuts that we place in crevices in the tree 

 trunks ; second, that the homes in which 

 we live afford a necessary protection 

 against the wintry weather ; and third, 

 that we cannot make rapid fights as can 

 most other birds. 



On account of our short migrations, 

 we are among the first birds to appear 

 in the early spring, making the woods 

 echo with our sounds produced by strik 

 ing the bill against the dead limbs of the 

 hardier trees, not searching for larvae, 

 but as a call for a mate and to assist in 

 preparing the bill for the coming sum 

 mer work, also for the enjoyment we 

 receive as it is our principal method of 

 designating who we are. 



During the winter months our food 

 consisted mainly of acorns or dried 

 berries. Through the months of April, 

 May and June we live upon the larvae 

 found beneath the bark of the trees or 

 in their surface woody tissue. We have 

 two ways of knowing where the worms 

 are located, first by the openings in the 

 bark where the mother insect deposited 



the eggs ; secondly, by the sound of the 

 larva as he makes his way through the 

 wood. It is by the last method that we 

 are able to obtain the major part of our 

 food. 



If you will notice closely, you will see 

 that the openings in the trees that we 

 make for our homes or nests are invar 

 iably on the east, west or north side, for 

 if placed on the south side, the intense 

 heat of the summer would be intolerable. 

 We make these holes in the trees deep 

 enough so that we can stand upright in 

 case we are attacked by the weasel or 

 some of the raptores as we often are. 

 As a further protection from different 

 enemies, the chips are removed from 

 the base of the tree where they have 

 fallen from the nest in its making. It 

 is also noticeable that we do not make 

 our homes near any limb of the tree, 

 thus making it more inconvenient to be 

 attacked. 



With most other birds, the old saying, 

 "the early bird catches the worm" holds 

 true, but in our case, especially through 

 the summer months, it does not, as we 

 get the most .of our food in the late 

 afternoon. The insect upon which we 

 prey the most is the "Katy-did," which 

 we locate by hearing it sing, then wait 

 ing until the song is started again, when 

 it is easily discerned and captured. We 

 are able to procure at least a dozen in one 

 afternoon, as well as catching many 

 bugs that fly about in the early twilight. 



As the late 'fall approaches we are kept 

 busy gathering acorns for present use 

 and storing some so that should we stay 

 until winter, we will have a partial 

 food supply, 



EDGAR S. JONES. 



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