108 LIFE HISTOEIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



generally known. Throughout the greater portion of the eastern United States 

 it is a rather irregular resident. Many of these birds winter along our northern 

 border, in certain years, when they can find an abundant supply of food; in 

 fact, it is" not unusual to find the Red-headed Woodpecker at such times in local- 

 ities where snow falls to a depth of 3 feet and more. Throughout the western 

 parts of its range, however, it appears to migrate pretty regularly-, and it is rare 

 to see one of these birds there, north of latitude 40°, in winter. In the eastern 

 portions of the New England States, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, it is rather 

 rare, and the same remarks apply to that part of New York east of the Hudson 

 River, and to Vermont east of the Green Mountains, where it is only a casual 

 summer visitor. Its breeding range is coextensive with its distribution. Birds 

 that migrate usually return to their summer homes about the latter part of April 

 or the beginning of May, and leave for the south again about the first of October. 

 Their movements are very uncertain at all times, and are evidently regulated 

 largely liy the food supply ; even on their lireeding grounds, where they may be 

 common one year, not a single pair may be found the next. Its favorite resorts in 

 sunmier are the borders of woods, fringes of timber along streams, solitary trees 

 in fields and pastures, shade trees along country woods, and on the treeless prairies 

 of some of our Western States it contents itself with telegra^Dh poles, fence posts, 

 etc. In the South, newly cleared fields in which a number of dead, girdled 

 trees still remain standing are much resorted to, and in such localities these 

 birds are very abundant at almost all seasons, but esjDecially in winter. 



In summer the food of the Red-headed Woodpecker consists to a consider- 

 able extent of insects of difi"erent kinds, such as grasshoppers, ants, beetles, and 

 flies, many of which are caught on the wing, and of such larvae as may be hidden 

 under the bark of trees, or in rotten wood; but it rarely digs out those of the 

 Avood-boring beetles which are found in more solid trees. At this season it also 

 feeds largely on fruits and berries, such as cherries, apples, pears, figs, peaclies, 

 and grapes, as well as on blackberries, raspberries, mulberries, poke and elder 

 berries, green peas, and Indian corn in the milk ; and last, but not least, on young 

 birds and eggs. In the late fall and win+er its diet is more largely vegetable, 

 one of its staples being beechnuts; the berries of the sour gum, dogwood, and 

 palmetto are also largely eaten; acorns, Indian corn, and small grains are like- 

 wise used, and it is well known that these birds also store away supplies, consisting 

 both of insects and vegetable matter, for winter use. 



One of the strangest things in the life history of this species, so entirely 

 different in every respect from the habits of all our other Woodpeckers, is the 

 fact that it feeds on both the eggs and young of other birds. I would hesitate 

 somewhat to record such an exceedingly pernicious habit if I had the least doubt 

 as to it and had not personally witnessed it. I have been aAvare of the fact that 

 it did sometimes throw out the eggs of other birds nesting in cavities in trees, 

 since May 18, 1885, when I found a Red-headed Woodpecker rifling the nest of 

 a Red-shafted Flicker near Fort Custer, Montana, where both these species 

 were not uncommon. The cavity contained six fresh eggs, two of which had 



