FOOD OK WEST VISGINIA BIBDS 



CHAPTER VI. 

 THE WOODPECKERS. 



Woodpecker Characteristics. 



Of this large family of highly specialized birds Mr. Frank M. Chap- 

 man, in his very valuable and comprehensive book, Hand-Book of Birds 

 of Eastern North America, says. "Woodpeckers occur in all wooded parts 

 of the world, except in the Australian region and Madagascar. Some 

 three hundred and seventy-five species are known, of which about one- 

 half are confined to the New World. Twenty-four of this number are 

 found in North America. Woodpeckers are rather solitary birds, but 

 are sometimes found associated in scattered companies during their 

 migrations. Above all other birds they are especially adapted to climb 

 or creep. The peculiar structure of the foot, with its two toes directed 

 forward and two backward (except, in North America, in one genus), 

 assists them in clinging to an upright surface, while the pointed, stiffened 

 tail-feathers serve as a prop. The stout, chisel-like bill of the more 

 typical species is used to cut away wood and expose the hiding-places 

 of grubs, etc.; then the long, distensible tongue with its horny, spear- 

 like tip, is thrust forward, the food impaled and drawn out. The vocal 

 powers of Woodpeckers are supplemented by the bill which is used 

 to beat the long, rolling call forming their love-song." In West Virginia 

 we have at least seven species of these arboreal birds. It is possible 

 that one or two other members of this family may yet be discovered 

 within our State. Those that have been observed are the Hairy Wood- 

 pecker, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Pileated 

 Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker and 

 Northern Flicker. While in many respects these birds resemble one 

 another very closely, in some respects they are quite diverse. The 

 Flicker, for instance, feeds largely upon the ground; the Red-headed 

 Woodpecker takes most of its food in the air in true Flycatcher fashion; 

 the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker punctures the bark of many kinds of forest 

 and cultivated trees, feeds on the cambium, drinks the sweet juices 

 that flow from some of the punctured trees, and catches the insects that 

 come to drink the fermented juices; while the other species depend 

 largely upon the insects which they dig out from the limbs and trunks 

 of trees. The Woodpeckers have been called the carpenters of the 

 woods, and the name is appropriate because with their chisel-like bills 

 they drill deeply into solid or decaying wood and extract the larvae 

 and other insect forms that are lurking there doing their quiet work 

 of destruction. Many persons look upon the Woodpeckers with some 

 suspicion since they are often seen puncturing trees, eating fruit and 

 doing other things that may easily be construed as harmful. However, 

 we are not to judge by appearances, but by the facts that have been 

 carefully gathered by investigators trained to their work. After exam- 

 ining many stomachs of birds belonging to this family, the Biological 

 Survey at Washington has found that they devour many wood-boring 

 "beetles, both adults and larvae, caterpillars and ants. As may be seen 



