738 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Phoiograph by C. W. Leister 



A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER RETURNING TO ITS NEST 



The hole has been cut so neatly through the bark that it is difficult to sec 

 it in the photograph. 



or less red on the head, but no other has the entire head 

 red. 



Redheads are versatile birds in their feeding habits, 

 and though they drill for their food less than the downy 

 and hairy species, they often fly out after passing insects 

 like the flycatchers or get down on the ground in search 

 of ants and worms like the thrushes. Occasionally indi- 

 viduals arouse the enmity of the whole bird and human 

 world by taking on nest robbing habits, eating the eggs 

 or young of smaller birds. In the fall of the year their 



presence in a locality is largely dependent upon the 

 su])ply of beechnuts, chestnuts or acorns, and at these 

 times great disputes often occur between the redheads 

 and the blue jays for the possession of certain nut trees 

 and for a time such trees present a riot of color. Like 

 the nuthatches, redheads often store nuts for winter use 

 in the crevices of the bark or in fence posts. If the nut 

 crop is good redheads are likely to pass the winter as 

 far north as northern New York or Ontario, but other- 

 wise they retire south of Maryland. 



More abundant in most places than the redhead is the 

 flicker, the only brown woodpecker in the United States. 

 The flicker is known by various local names, such as 

 high-hole or high-holder, clape, wickup, wake-robin, 

 golden-winged woodpecker, and over 100 others which 

 space forbids to mention. The flicker is about the size 



PROVING HIS TRUST IN MAN 



A hairy woodpecker taking suet from the window casing, 

 graph was taken tlirough tlie window. 



The photo 



A DOW.NY WOODl'ECKtR AFTLR SUET 



The met has been rammed into a hole bored for it so that crows and 

 squirrels cannot carry it away in one piece. 



of the redhead, somewhat larger than a robin, brown 

 al)ove barred with black, light brown below spotted with 

 black, and grayer on the head. Its most characteristic 

 marks are a red crescent on the back of the head, a black 

 crescent on the breast, a white patch on the rump, and 

 golden yellow lining to the wings and tail. The western 

 flicker has this lining of tlie wings and tail red instead 

 of yellow. 



The flicker is a rather aberrant member of the family 

 and now seldom drills for boring larvae. Its favorite 

 food is ants, which it secures by drilling into their nests 

 upon the ground. ' Thus it is frequently seen hopping 

 about lawns with the robins. Its bill is slightly curved 



