4:6 BIRDS OF THE PAPAGO SAGUARO NATIONAL MONUMENT. 



Following are quotations from an article by M. French Gilman, 

 treating of the life history of the gilded flicker, as observed about 

 Sacaton, Arizona : 



Mearns gilded flicker (Colaptes chrysoides mearnsi) is abundant throughout 

 this region and is found in cottonwood and willow groves as well as wherever 

 the giant cactus grows. The giant cactus is to this flicker and the Gila wood- 

 pecker what the bamboo is to the inhabitants of some of the eastern islands. 

 The cactus could get along without the flickers, though it probably would not feel 

 properly ventilated without a few nest holes, and it would not look at all natural 

 without them. The cactus furnishes the birds with home, shelter, food, and pos- 

 sibly drink. They roost in the holes and seek them as retreat from rain- 

 storms. More than once when driving through a heavy rain have I seen a 

 flicker's head thrust from a hole in an inquiring way, as though to say, " Look, 

 who's here." 



The gilded flickers are much quieter than the Gilas and are not so much in 

 evidence around homes, though they do not appear to be very timid. They are 

 simply less sociable, I presume. They resort regularly to the Indian corn- 

 cribs and are seen in cornfields, though I have never noticed them actually 

 engaged on an ear of green corn as I have the Gilas. They probably attack 

 the green corn, but are quiet about the work instead of advertising their pres- 

 ence. They eat largely of the cactus fruit and possibly of the pulp at certain 

 lean seasons. They are very fond of watermelon and eat freely of it when it 

 is placed on bird tables or on the ground in shade of tree or shed. They ap- 

 pear to feed frequently on the ground in the way the red-shafted does and are 

 probably after ants most of the time. I have seen them at work on an ant hill 

 and even pecking into the ground after the insects. When melon is placed both 

 on the tables and on the ground they resort more often to that on the ground, 

 while the Gilas prefer the tables. However, I have never seen the flickers drink 

 from the pool of water provided, though the Gilas occasionally do. 



They are peaceable and impress me as being eminently practical and matter of 

 fact. Each one minds his own business, as the Gilas do sometimes, but are 

 solitary or in pairs. They have the same habit of pecking the walls of buildings 

 as have the red-shafted flickers, and one has worked spasmodically at the 

 shingled gable of the schoolhouse here for the past three years. I take it to 

 be the same individual, for he is rather tame and roosts each night above one 

 of the window casings. A few times I have seen a Gila woodpecker at work at 

 the same point in the wall, but usually his time is put in on a telephone pole 

 in the yard. The notes of this flicker are quite similar to those of the red- 

 shafted, but not so frequent nor quite so loud. 



The nests are found in giant cactus, cottonwood, and willow, and in that 

 order as to frequency, the giant cactus leading. Nests are in the giant cactus 

 or Saguaro, as it is called, far from water, and in cottonwood and willow along 

 the river, on banks of the canals, or even standing in stagnant water pools. 

 Of 27 nests examined containing eggs or young, 21 were in the Saguaro, 4 in 

 willow, and 2 in cottonwood. Others were seen in cottonwood, but too difficult 

 of access, and many in the cactus were out of reach. If careful count were 

 made I believe about 90 per cent would be found in the cactus. Nests in cot- 

 tonwood and willow ranged from 5 to 25 feet from the ground and in Saguaros 

 from 11 to 25 or 30 feet. 



April is the month for flicker nesting, as 19 of the 27 occupied nests were 

 noted during that month; 11 contained eggs, and 8 had young. Of 8 nests 

 found in May, 4 had eggs and 4 contained young. April 11 was the earliest 



