THE CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER. 



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[^ HIS fine specimen of the Wood- 

 pecker is by far the most 

 sociable representative of the 

 family in the United States, 

 and it is no unusual occurence to see 

 half a dozen or more in a single tree. 

 It is also a well disposed bird, and 

 seldom quarrels or fights with its own 

 kind, or with smaller birds, but it 

 attacks intruders on its winter stores 

 with such vigor and presistence that 

 they are compelled to vacate the 

 premises in a hurry. Its manner of 

 flight and call notes closely resemble 

 those of the Red-Headed Woodpecker, 

 and, like it, it loves to cling to some 

 dead limb near the top of a tree and 

 drum for hours at a time. It is one of 

 the most restless of birds, and never 

 appears to be at a loss for amusement, and 

 no other bird belonging to this family 

 could possibly be more industrious. 



During the Spring and Summer its 

 food consists, to some extent, of insects, 

 including grass-hoppers, ants, beetles, 

 and flies — varied with cherries, apples, 

 figs, berries and green corn. Acorns 

 form its principal food during the 

 greater portion of the year. Of these 

 it stores away large numbers in the 

 thick bark of pines, in partly rotten 

 limbs of oak trees, telegraph poles, and 

 fence posts. A writer in the " Auk" 

 says of its habits: " It is essentially a 

 bird of the pines, only occasionally 

 decending to the cotton woods of low 

 valleys. The oaks, which are scattered 

 through the lower pine zone, supply a 

 large share of its food. Its habit of 

 hoarding food is well known, and these 

 stores are the source of unending 

 quarrels with its numerous feathered 

 enemies. I have laid its supplies 

 under contribution myself, when short 

 of provisions and lost from the com- 

 mand on which I had been traveling, 

 by filling my saddlebags with half- 

 dried acorns from under the loose 

 bark of a dead pine." 



The California Woodpecker is found 

 in western Mexico, northern Lower 

 California, and north through Cali 

 fornia into western Oregon. So far as 

 is known the eastern limit of its range 

 is the Santa Fe Mountains. 



Its nest is usually from fifteen to 

 twenty-five feet from the ground, 

 excavated on the side of a branch of a 

 good sized oak or sycamore. Breeding 

 commences in April or May, according 

 to locality. Both sexes assist in the 

 excavation. The entrance hole is 

 about one and three-fourths inches in 

 diameter, perfectly circular, and is 

 sometimes chisled through two or 

 three inches of solid wood before the 

 softer and decayed core is reached. 

 The inner cavity is greatly enlarged 

 as it descends, and varies from eight to 

 twenty-four inches in depth. The 

 eggs rarely exceed four or five, and 

 are pure white in color. 



The most remarkable fact concern- 

 ing this species is the peculiar manner 

 in which it stores acorns. The thick 

 bark of large sugar and other pines 

 has been seen completely riddled with 

 small holes. A section of a partly 

 decayed oak limb, three feet two 

 inches long and five and one-half 

 inches in diameter, contained 255 

 holes. Each hole is intended to hold 

 a single acorn. The acorns fit quite 

 accurately, are driven in point fore- 

 most, and are not readily extracted. 

 Sweet acorns are selected. To get at 

 their contents the acorns are carried 

 to a convenient tree where a limb has 

 been broken off, driven into a suitable 

 crevice, split open, and the outer hull 

 removed. Truly the California Wood- 

 pecker is no idler or bungler, nor 

 is he a free-booter, like the noisy, 

 roystering Jay. He makes an 

 honest living, and provides for the 

 evil day which comes alike to man 

 and beast. 



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