IX 



A FEW BIRDS THAT ARE RESIDENTS IN 

 OUR NORTHERN STATES. DECEMBER 



All of you children are well acquainted with the House 

 Sparrow,, one of the few birds seen here all through the 

 winter. There are, however, several birds which remain 

 with us even in the most severe winters, although many of 

 us may not see them frequently. Among these are several 

 owls and hawks, the Blue Jay, a few woodpeckers, and the 

 Chickadee. Inseparably connected with the forests are the 

 woodpeckers. We shall first learn a little about the 



59. Hairy Woodpecker. Dryobates villosus. 

 MATERIAL : Stuffed bird or picture. Outdoor observations. 



Every boy and girl has seen a bird now and then that 

 climbed up and around trees by little jumps, and which at 

 the same time seemed to examine the tree very carefully, 

 and here and there tore off little pieces of bark. The most 

 conspicuous of these birds is the Red-headed Woodpecker ; 

 but as the latter is not a winter resident with us, we shall 

 study the characteristics of the family in the Hairy Wood- 

 pecker. 



Description. Both male and female are black and white 

 above and have a white stripe on the middle of the back ; 

 the male alone has two red spots on the back of the head. 

 The under parts are grayish-white. The bird is from nine 

 to ten inches long, being nearly the size of a robin. 



Observations. If you can get out into the woods, look for the tracks of 

 minks, foxes, weasels, and raccoons. 



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