5G0 THE EED-HEADED WOODPECKER 



This species, although mostly found on trees, is a frequent visitor to the ground, where 

 it finds abundance of food. Ants' nests are said to form a great attraction to the Green 

 Woodpecker, which feasts merrily at the expense of the insect community. During the 

 autumn, it also lives on vegetable food, being especially fond of nuts, which it can crack 

 without any difficulty by repeated strokes from its bill. The nest of this Woodpecker is, 

 like that of the other species, a mere heap of soft decaying wood at the bottom of a tunnel 

 dug by the birds, or adapted to their use from an already existing cavity. 



The colouring of this species is very pretty. The top of the head is bright scarlet, and 

 from the base of the beak starts a kind of moustache, black, with a scarlet centre. The 

 whole of the upper surface is dark green, mixed with yellow, changing to sulphur-yellow 

 on the upper tail-coverts. The primaries are greyish black spotted with white, and the 

 secondaries and tertials are green on their outer webs, and grey-black spotted with white 

 on the inner. The stiff tail-feathers are greyish black, variegated with some bars of a 

 lighter hue ; and the throat, chest, and all the under surface are ashen green. The colour 

 of the beak is dark horny black. The female may be known from her mate by the 

 wholly black moustache, and the smaller ornament of scarlet on the liead. In the young 

 birds of both sexes, the scarlet of the head is mottled with black and yellow, the green 

 feathers of the back are yellow at their tips, and the under surface is dull brownish white, 

 with streaks and bars of greyish black. The total length of this bird rather exceeds 

 one foot. The other British species are the Great Black Woodpecker {Dryocopus Mdrtius), 

 the Northern Three-toed Woodpecker {Picoides triddctylus), and the Lesser Spotted Wood- 

 pecker (Picus minor). 



America possesses many species of these birds, among which the Eed-headed Wood- 

 pecker deserves a short notice, as being a good representative of the Black Woodpeckers. 



It is one of the commonest of American birds, bold, fearless of man, and even 

 venturing within the precincts of towns. The habits of this bird are well told by 

 Audubon and AVilson. The former author remarks of this bird : " When alighted on a 

 fence stake by the road, or in a field, and one approaches them, they gradually move 

 sideways out of sight, peeping now and then to discover your intention, and when you 

 are quite close and opposite, lie still until you have passed, when they hop to the top of 

 the stake, and rattle upon it with their bill, as if to congratulate themselves on the success 

 of their cunning. Should you approach within arm's length, which may frequently be 

 done, the AVoodpecker flies to the first stake or the second from you, bends his head to 

 peep, and rattles again, as if to provoke you to continuance of what seems to him excellent 

 sport. He alights on the roof of the house, hops along it, beats the shingles, utters a 

 cry, and dives into your garden to pick the finest strawberries he can discover." 



Every one who has had practical experience of this bird agrees that it is very 

 mischievous in a garden ; and even Wilson, whose kind heart would hardly permit him to 

 see that any feathered creature could he hurtful to man, is forced to admit that its robberies 

 are very extensive, but ought to be conceded as a tribute of thankfulness to the bird for 

 eating so many grubs. " Wherever there is a tree or trees of the wild cherry," writes 

 Wilson, " covered with ripe fruit, there you see them busy among the branches, and in 

 passing orchards you may easily know where to find the earliest and sweetest apples, by 

 observing those trees on or near which the Eed-headed Woodpecker is skulking. Eor he 

 is so excellent a connoisseur in fruit, that wherever an apple or pear tree is found broached 

 by him, it is sure to be among the ripest and best-flavoured ; when alarmed, he seizes a 

 capital one by striking his open bill deep into it, and bears it off to the woods. 



When the Indian corn is in its rich, succulent, milky state, he attacks it with great 

 eagerness, opening a passage through the numerous folds of the husk, and feeding on it 

 with voracity. The girdled or deadened timber, so common among cornfields in the back 

 settlements, are hi.^ favourite retreats, whence he sallies out to make his depredations. 

 He is fond of the ripe berries of the sour gum, and pays pretty regular visits to the cherry- 

 trees when loaded with fruit. Towards fall he often approaches the barn or farmhouse, 

 and raps on the shingles and weather-boards. He is of a gay and frolicsome disposition, 

 and half a dozen of the fraternity are frequently seen diving and vociferating around the 



