106 YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



RED-SHAFTED FLICKER 



13-14 



ACORN WOODPECKER 



(?) 9^ 



i. ^ 



LEWIS'S WOODPECKER 



nd: red on head reduced and red 

 cheek absent in female; white line 

 above and below eye; long, wide stripe 

 of white on neck; otherwise generally 

 black except ivhite j)atchcs in wings, 

 more extensive on under side. Imma- 

 ture: Crest salmon. Feeds on beetle lar- 

 vae, ants, and occasionally plant ma- 

 terials. Nests in dead conifers and large 

 aspens. 



Inhabits coniferous forests, especially 

 of white and red firs and Douglas-fir. 

 R. in the Yosemite region in the Transi- 

 tion and Canadian life-zones. To be 

 seen in ^'o^ennte Valley at all seasons 

 of the year. 



ACORN WOODPECKER (Mela- 

 nrrpes jorniieivorus) : O/a in. Forehead 

 wliite; croicu red: sides of head and 

 upper parts black: rump and ning 

 patches white: breast with black band 

 from which black streaks run down on 

 belly. In flight, one sees flashes of black 

 and white — white band in wings and 

 white patch on rump. Female: Resem- 

 bles male except has black area between 

 white on forehead and red on head. 



Frequents woodland areas chiefly in 

 the Upper Sonoran life-zone but also 

 in the Transition life-zone. Attracted to 

 oak trees upon which it depends to a 

 large extent for food and sites for nest- 

 ing holes. Often stores acorns in dead 

 trees, the bark of trees, fence posts, etc. 

 Widespread common R. largely west of 

 the Sierran divides, as at lower eleva- 

 tions in the Yosemite region. A con- 

 spicuous bird on the floor of Yosemite 

 Valley where it is found associated with 

 the black and canyon live oaks. Some- 

 times seen flycatching. 



LEWIS'S WOODPECKER (Asyn- 

 desmus lewis): lO/a-H/a in. Above 

 black, tinged with green ; no white in 

 wings; breast gray, approaching rose 

 color on belly; gray collar on nape: 

 dark red on forehead, sides of head, 

 and chin. In flight resembles a crow. 



Erratic occurrence as R. from year 

 to year. Frequents broken deciduous 

 woodland or coniferous forest. Breeds 

 chiefly in the Upper Sonoran and Tran- 



