FLICKER. 



utters a metallic chink, chink, while he is at work, or a 

 quick succession of these syllables as he flies to another 

 tree. The notes of the Hairy Woodpecker are about the 

 same, but louder. Both birds in the rapid repetition of 

 their notes resemble the noisy Flicker. The Downy dif- 

 fers from Woodpeckers in general ; he is a sociable chap, 

 for I notice he is always around when a flock of Chicka- 

 dees and a Nuthatch or two are inspecting the old apple- 

 trees on the grounds. I generally look for the visits of 

 this self-appointed committee of investigation in early 

 autumn ; probably they are continued at irregular inter- 

 vals throughout the winter. 



Flicker This is one of our largest as well as 



Golden-winged noisiest Woodpeckers. When he begins to 

 Woodpecker .. . ,. 



Colaptes shout his monotonous information about 



auratus the rain,* all other birds may as well re- 



L. 12.00 inches main silent, for his clamor makes the 

 April ist welkin ring ! Although his song is heard 



not before early spring, he is one of the few plucky birds 

 which braves the severity of our northern winters and 

 stays with us the year around if the food supply seems 

 promising. His colors are varied : top of the head gray ; 

 a scarlet band on the back of the neck ; a patch of white 

 on the lower part of the back, and considerable yellow 

 showing beneath the tail and wings during flight ; back, 

 upper parts of wings and secondaries brown-gray barred 

 with black, the primaries and tail feathers black with 

 yellow shafts ; throat and sides of the face pinkish 

 brown ; a broad black band extending backward from 

 the base of the bill, and a broad black crescent across 

 the breast ; lower parts dusky white marked with round 

 black spots. Female similar but without the black band 

 on cheeks. Nest in a deep hole probably of an apple- 

 tree, the entrance ten feet up, round, and not very 

 large ; the bird may or may not have excavated the 

 hole, he is likely to remodel or enlarge one caused 

 by decay. The egg is pure white. The bird's range is 



*Most writers render his song thus : "Wet, wet, wet, wet, wt, 

 vet." etc. 



23 



