FLICKER (Colaptes auratus). 



Length, 13 inches. The yellow under surface 

 of the wing, yellow tail shafts, and white rump 

 are characteristic. 



Range: Breeds in the eastern United States 

 west to the plains and in the forested parts of 

 Canada and Alaska; winters in most of the 

 eastern United States. 



Habits and economic status: The flicker in- 

 habits the open country rather than the forest 

 and delights in park-like regions where trees 

 are numerous and scattered. It nests in any 

 large cavity in a tree and readily appropriates 

 an artificial box. It is possible, therefore, to 

 insure the presence of this useful bird about 

 the farm and to increase its numbers. It is the 

 most terrestrial of our woodpeckers and pro- 

 c\ires much of its food from the ground. The 

 largest item of animal food is ants, of which 

 the flicker eats more than any other common 

 bird. Ants were found in 524 of the 684 stom- 

 achs examined and 98 stomachs contained no 

 other food. One stomach contained over 5,000 

 and two others held over 3,000 each. While bugs are not largely eaten by the 

 flicker, one stomach contained 17 chinch bugs. Wild fruits are next to ants in 

 importance in the flicker's dietary. Of these sour gum and wild black cherry 

 stand at the head. The food habits of this bird are such as to recommend it to 

 complete protection. (See Biol. Survey Bui. 37, pp. 52-58.) 



YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (Sphyrapicus varius). 



Length, about 8§ inches. Only woodpecker having top of head from base of 



bill red, combined with a black patch on breast. 

 Eange: Breeds^ in northern half of the United States and southern half of 



Canada; winters in most of the States and south to Costa Rica. 

 Habits and economic status: The yellow-bellied sapsucker is rather silent 



and suspicious and generally manages to have a tree between himself and the 



observer. Hence the bird is much better 

 known by its works than its appearance. The 

 regular girdles of holes made by this bird are 

 common on a great variety of trees; in all about 

 250 kinds are known to be attacked. Occa- 

 _ >' IB^m^ sionally young trees are killed outright, but 



^ffrjr wkWr more loss is caused by stains and other blem- 



^^M wL ^\ ?• € # * ishes in the wood which result from sapsucker 



y ^^^ F%' " punctures. These blemishes, which are known 



» % w^^^ If as bird pecks, are especially numerous in hick- 



ory, oak, cypress, and yellow poplar. Defects 

 due to sapsucker work cause an annual loss to 

 the lumber industry estimated at $1,250,000. 

 The food of the yellow-bellied sapsucker is 

 about half animal and half vegetable . Its fond- 

 ness for ants counts slightly in its favor . It eats 

 also wasps, beetles (including, however, very 

 few wood-boring species), bugs, and spiders. 

 The two principal components of the vegetable 

 food are wild fruits of no importance and cam- 

 bium (the layer just beneath the bark of trees). 

 In secxiring the cambium the bird does the 

 damage above described. The yellow-bellied 

 sapsucker, unlike other woodpeckers, thus 

 does comparatively little good and much 

 harm. (See Biol. Sxirvey Bui. 39.) 



tP^ 



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