BIRDS OF NEW YORK 1 49 



and winters from southern New York and Illinois southward to the gulf 

 coast and eastern Mexico. In New York its breeding range is chiefly 

 confined to the Catskills and Adirondacks, but a few breed along the 

 southern border of western New York on the highlands near the Pennsyl- 

 vania line and in some of the swamps of central and western New York, 

 as near Peterboro, Oneida, Potter, Auburn and Boston, but it is rarely 

 seen during the nesting season outside the Adirondack and Catskill districts. 

 During the migration season, from April I to May 15, this species is one 

 of the commonest woodpeckers throughout the greater portion of the State. 

 Its arrival from the south, near New York City, dates from April 1 to 15; 

 in western New York, from April 6 to 18. At this season it is frequently 

 seen about the shade trees of cities and villages as well as in all groves and 

 forests, being ranked as a common transient visitant in nearly every station 

 from which we have exhaustive reports. During the migration it is evident 

 that the male birds arrive first, for during 15 years of continuous records 

 which I have kept with this object in view I have found that male birds 

 are the first to be seen each year and no females are seen for several days 

 after the first males arrive. Then the white-throated females begin to 

 appear and become relatively more numerous until they outnumber the 

 males during the first two weeks of May, and, at the last of the migration 

 season, which usually closes by the 20th of May, only female birds are 

 to be found and frequently these are the black-crowned females referred 

 to in the description above, which are evidently the young females of the 

 preceding season. In the warmer portions of New York the sapsucker 

 often remains throughout the winter, especially in the region immediately 

 surrounding New York City where winter records are not infrequent. 

 The fall migration is mostly accomplished between September 20 or 

 October 10, and November 1, the time of greatest abundance usually 

 being the middle of October. 



Haunts and habits. The Sapsucker is the most abundant woodpecker 

 throughout the Adirondack region. While camping in the North Woods it 

 is a common experience to be awakened at daybreak by the loud drumming 

 of this species from some neighboring birch tree. He selects a dry branch, 



