262 Roosevelt Wild Life Bulletin 



The nest is a large, bulky structure, placed in a tree. Evergreen 

 trees are preferred, particularly planted spruces ; but apple trees, 

 maples and various others are used where evergreens are not to be 

 found. 



Northern Flicker. Colaptes auratus hit eus Bangs 



The Flicker is easily distinguished from other birds in many 

 ways. It is larger than the Robin, with a brown back, barred with 

 black and marked with a patch of white above the base of the tail 

 which is conspicuous in flight. There is a red crescent-shaped 

 patch on the back of the neck and a similarly shaped black patch 

 on the front of the breast. The under parts are buff color and 

 spotted with black. As the bird flies past, with the characteristic 

 undulatory flight of a woodpecker, the yellow wing linings flicker, 

 reminding us of its common name. 



This bird is common in the Park, mainly in orchards and among 

 shade trees, but also in trees along the stream margins and in the 

 forests, preferring those that are more open. It frequents trunks 

 and limbs of trees, and is found also on the ground, a habit not 

 common with most Woodpeckers. Ants, which it gathers when on 

 the ground, make up a large part of its food. 



The notes of this woodpecker are varied. In the spring and 

 early summer it gives a long call, " wick wick wick wick," repeated 

 many times, either all on one pitch, or gradually rising and falling 

 at the beginning and end. A common call is " keeyah," slurring 

 downward ; and a third note, produced in the courtship performance 

 in spring is " oo-eka, oo-eka, oo-eka." The bird also drums on dead 

 limbs like other Woodpeckers. 



The nest is in a hole in a dead limb or trunk of a tree, or drilled 

 in a telephone pole. Several nests were located in the Park. They 

 may be known by the size of the opening, too large for any other 

 woodpecker, except the Pileated, and too small for that bird. 



Downy Woodpecker. Dryobates 'pub esc ens medianus (Swain.) 



This is the smallest of the Woodpeckers. It may be distinguished 

 from the Hairy Woodpecker mainly by size, but also by the black 

 bars on its outer tail feathers. From the Sapsucker it may be told 

 by the continuous white back, and in the male, by the small red 

 spot on the back of the head. The wings are spotted with white, 

 but without the broad white patch of the Sapsucker. 



Downy Woodpeckers are common in the Park, frequenting 

 orchards and shade trees, and are also found in trees of the stream 

 border and in the forests. In the latter place they are less common 

 than the Hairy Woodpeckers. 



The common call of this Woodpecker is a sharp, high " keep " 

 similar to that of the Hairy W'oodpecker, but not so loud. Another 

 call is " he-he-he-he-he-he " descending in pitch and entirely dis- 

 tinct from the rattle-like call of the Hairy Woodpecker. 



The nest is like those of other Woodpeckers but the entrance is 

 smaller in size. The nesting hole with its round opening is exca- 



