Chap. 3. 



BIRDS OF VERMONT. 



93 



GOr.DEN-WINGED WOODPECKER. 



RED-HEADED WOODPECKEK. 



Genus Picus. — Linnaits. 



Generic Characters. — Bill large ormod- 

 crale, usually straight, pyramidal, com|)ressecl, 

 cuneate, and edged like scissors towards the point; 

 nostrils basal, oval, open, paitly concealed by 

 bristly feathers at the base of the bill ; tongue 

 long, extensile and vermiform ; legs strong ; feet 

 robust, suited for cliinbinH ; two toes before, uni- 

 ted at the base, and usually two behind, divided ; 

 1st primary very short, 3d and 4th longest ; tail 

 cuneiform, with 12 feathers, the lateral ones being 

 very short. 



The Woodpeckers resemble one another in 

 their habits and manner of life. Their nests are 

 in excavations in old trees, and the young of most 

 of the species emit a rank disagreeable odor. 

 They do some injury by pecking holes in the bark 

 of our fruit trees, in the pursuit of their favorite 

 food; but it is IriHing compared with the service 

 which they render by the destruction of eggs, larva; 

 and insects. 



GOLDEN-WINGED WOODPECKER. 



Picus auratus. — Linn. 

 Description. — Upper plumage timber 

 brown barred transversely with black; tip- 

 per part of the head cinereous with a crim- 

 son red crescent behind; cheeks and throat 

 bright cinnamon color ; from the lower 

 mandible descends a stripe of black to 

 the throat ; a black crescent on the breast; 

 under plumage generally yellowish white, 

 beautifully spotted with black, the spots 

 circular on the breast, and hastate or 

 heart-form towards the tail ; under side 

 of the wings and tail and the shafts of most 

 of the larger feathers, saffron yellow ; 

 rump white ; tail coverts white, notched 

 and banded with black; tail black above 

 with some of the feathers slightly edged 

 and tipped with yellowish white ; bill 

 bluish black; legs grayish blue; iris 

 dark hazel. Length 11. ^ inches; spread 

 19; length of the bill 1.^7 



History. — This is our largest, and one 



of our most common Woodpeckers. It is 

 known by several names, such as Flicker, 

 Yellow Hammer, and Partridge Wood- 

 pecker. This Woodpecker spends the 

 winter in the southern states, and returns 

 some time in April. Their nest is made 

 by excavating a cavity in an old tree with 

 their bill, and they have been known in 

 this way to make a winding borough in 

 solid oak, 15 inches in length. The eggs, 

 U!?ually 6, are pure white. 



RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, 



Picus erythroccphalus. — Linn. 



Description. — Color of the head, neck 

 and throat rich crimson ; fore part of the 

 back, scapulars and wing coverts bluish 

 black; greater quills, anterior border of 

 the wings, and tail pitch black ; seconda- 

 ries, rump and all the under parts of the 

 bod}' while ; tail forked, several featliers 

 tipped, and the two outer ones edged with 

 white ; shafts of the secondaries black ; 

 bill greenisli blue, darker towards the tip, 

 stout and slightly arched ; iris yellowish 

 brown. Colors of the /c?««/c dull. Head 

 and neck of the young grayish. Length 

 9, spread 16; 3d primary longest. 



History. — The Red-Headed Wood- 

 pecker, although at present by no means 

 rare in Vermont, is much less common 

 than formerly. They pass the winter in 

 the southern states, and return in the 

 early part of May. Their migrations, ac- 

 cording to Audubon, are performed in the 

 night. They are remarkably fond of 

 sweet apples, and are often seen in orch- 

 ards. Their nest is excavated in the 

 trunk or large limb of an old dead tree. 

 The eggs are about 6, white and marked 

 with reddish spots at the large end. 



YELLOW BELLIED WOODPECKER. 



Picus varius, — Wilson. 

 Description. -Color varied with black, 

 white, yellow and crimson ; fore part of 

 the iiead and throat crimson ; back mot- 

 tled with black, white and pale yellow ; 

 wings black, with most of the feathers 

 spotted and tipped with white ; tail most- 

 ly black, with the two central feathers 

 white, spotted with black on their inner 

 webs, and some of the outer ones tipped 

 with yellow ; breast and belly light yel- 

 low ; sides under the wings dusky yel- 

 low, spotted longitudinally with black ; 

 legs and feet dusky blue, inclining to 

 green; feet four toed ; bill blackish horn 

 color, long and stout. Female, with the 

 throat and back of the head whitish ; 

 young with a broad white band across the 

 wings, and nearly witliout yellow on the 

 back. Lengths; spread 14. 



