April 1904] BIRDS OF THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA. II 



tures into the canyons. On the plains below, wherever there is brush or 

 trees, and all along the San Pedro River it is very common, as in fact, I 

 have found it in all similar places 1 have visited in Southern Arizona. I 

 have frequently observed the bird feeding in small bushes close to the 

 ground, and often at work on the leaves of a cactus, seeming to be gen- 

 erally less dependant on the presence of large timber than any of the 

 other woodpeckers. 



Dryobates arizonae (Hargitt). Arizona Woodpecker. 



Although the Arizona Woodpecker is resident the year through in 

 the Huachucas, it is singular how the birds seem to disappear in the 

 breeding season, that is from the middle of April to the middle of June, 

 when the young birds begins to leave the nest. During this time their 

 loud shrill call may be occasionally heard from some wooded hillside, 

 but the birds themselves are seldom seen. I have taken specimens from 

 the base of the mountains, about 4500 feet altitude, up to 8000 feet, but 

 they are not often seen above 7000 feet. In the winter they seem to more 

 particularly favor the large groves of live-oaks along the foot-hills and 

 at the mouths of the canyons ; scattering over the mountains and as- 

 cending to rather a higher elevation upon the advent of the breeding 

 season. They breed indiscriminately in the large trees along the canyon 

 streams, in the oaks on the hillsides, and occasionally in a dead mescal 

 stalk in the same locality as the Texan Woodpecker. Although a fairly 

 common bird in the region they frequent, I have never found them at all 

 gregarious ; except in the summer when a pair of old birds with three 

 or four young may frequently be seen ; never more than a single brood 

 however and these small gatherings break up before the young acquire 

 the adult plumage. What I have frequently seen though, occasionally 

 even in the breeding season, is two old males bearing each other com- 

 pany, and usually sticking pretty close together. 



About the third week in April they commence laying their eggs, and 

 after the middle of June the young birds begin to leave the nest, and 

 soon become quite abundant. I have never had any difficulty in ap- 

 proaching these birds as they are usually quite tame and unsuspicious ; 

 far more so than the generality of woodpeckers, and the young birds are 

 noticeably so. I have several times stood within ten feet of a young 

 bird, easily distinguishable by his red cap, as he was industriously 

 pounding on a limb without seeming in the least disturbed by my pres- 

 ence, or showing any inclination to leave. On one occasion the con- 

 fiding, and in this case inquiring nature of the bird occasioned rather a 

 laughable scene. An acquaintance in the mountains, passing the camp 

 one day stopped to lead his horse down to the well which supplied us 

 with water. A young Arizona Woodpecker was sitting in an oak tree 

 close by, and soon after the horse began drinking he flew down, and 

 lighting on the animal's hind leg as on the side of a tree, hit it a vigorous 

 rap or two. The horse and its owner appeared equally surprised, and 

 both moving a little the bird retreated to his tree. It wasn't a minute be- 

 fore he was back again, this time on a front leg, where he went to work 

 with such energy as to start the horse plunging and kicking in an eflfort 

 to get rid of its curious assailant. The woodpecker left but did not seem 

 to be particularly frightened, as he sat on the wooden curb of the well 

 until he was left alone again. 



The Arizona Woodoecker commences to moult about the middle of 

 July, and by the first weeK in September the new plumage is almost com- 

 pletely acquired. The plumage of the breast, abdomen, and lower parts 



