258 



USEFUL BIRDS. 



to Professor Beal, Dr. Merriam found the stomachs of four 

 birds filled with beechnuts, and has seen this species eat the 

 berries of the mountain ash. It eats bay berries also. 



Hairy Woodpecker. 



Dry abates villosus villosiis. 



Length. — About nine and one-half inches. 



Adult. — Quite similar to the Downy Woodpecker, but much larger ; the bill pro- 

 portionately longer. 

 Nest. — A hole cut in a tree by the bird. 

 Eggs. — White. 

 Season. — Resident. 



The Hairy Woodpecker, like the preceding species, lives 

 to such an extent on the grubs of boring beetles and on 

 wood-borinsr ants that it can find food at all times of the 



year. In very cold winters, 

 however, when the trees are 

 solidly frozen for months, both 

 these species find it difiicult to 

 dig out borers from living trees. 

 In the winter of 1903-04, which 

 was exceedinglj" cold, the 

 Woodpeckers were compelled 

 to work on dry limbs and fence 

 rails, wood piles, and any dry 

 timber they could find. They 

 do not disdain to help them- 

 selves to waste meat, fat, or suet in winter. 



The Hairy Woodpecker is less common than the Downy, 

 but individually is about as useful. Its sharp, clicking notes 

 much resemble those of its smaller congener, but the}^ are 

 stronger, and have a wilder sound. The bird may be easily 

 recognized by its large size and its vigorous, rapid move- 

 ments. Like all Woodpeckers, its flight is rather undulat- 

 ing, as though, by reason of its excess of vigor, it could not 

 help leaping and bounding through the air. It is usually 

 shyer than the Downy, and is found more in timber lands 

 than in orchards ; but becomes tamer where it is not molested 

 by man, and sometimes breeds in the orchard. 



Maurice Thompson says that this bird strikes its bill into 



m»iii!^£i 



Fig. 117. — Hairy Woodpecker, male, 

 about one-half natural size. 



