THE BIRD BOOK 



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410. GOLDEN-FRONTED WOODPECKER. 

 Centurus aurifrons. 



Range. Mexico and southern Texas, resident. 



This is also one of the "zebra" or "ladder- 

 backed" Woodpeckers, having the back and 

 wings closely barred with black and white, the 

 same as the preceding; the forehead, nasal 

 tufts and nape are gol- 

 den yellow, and the 

 male has a patch of red 

 on the crown. This is 

 a very common resident 

 species in the Lower 

 Rio Grande Valley in 

 Texas, where it nests in 

 trees or telegraph poles, 

 sometimes so numer- 

 ously in the latter situations as to become a 

 nuisance. Their nesting habits are not in any 

 manner peculiar, and the eggs cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from those of the preceding. Size 

 1.00 x .75. Laid during April and May. 



411. GILA WOODPECKER. 



Centurus uropygialis. 



Range. Mexican border of the United States, 

 in southern Arizona and New Mexico. 



Like the preceding but without any yellow 

 on the head, the male having a red patch in 

 the center of the crown. They are locally dis- 

 tributed in New Mexico, but appear to be abund- 

 ant in all parts of southern Arizona, where they 

 nest principally in giant cacti, but also in many other trees such as cottonwoods, 

 mesquite, sycamores, etc. Besides their decided preference for giant cacti, 

 there is nothing unusual in their nesting habits, and the eggs are not different 

 from those of others of the genus. They lay from three to six eggs in April or 

 May. Size 1.00 x .75. 



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412. FLICKER. Colaptes auratus auratus. 



Range. Southeastern United States. 



Flickers are well known, large Woodpeckers (13 

 inches long), with a brownish tone to the plumage, bar- 

 red on the back and spotted on the breast with black. 

 The present species has a golden yellow lining to the 

 wings and tail, and the shafts of the feathers are yellow; 

 it has a red crescent on the nape, and the male has black 

 moustache marks. This species and its sub-variety are 

 the most widely known Woodpeckers in eastern North 

 America, where they are known in different localities, 

 by something like a hundred local names, of which 



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