THE NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER. 



{Dryobates nuitallii, ) 



The range of Nuttall's Woodpecker is 

 long! and narrow. Lying west of the 

 Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain 

 ranges, it extends from the southern por- 

 tion of the. state of Oregon southward 

 through California into the peninsula of 

 Lower California. It is a denizen of the 

 lower foothills throughout the length of 

 its range. It is partial to the oaks that 

 grow in the vicinity of streams, though 

 it also nests in the old or dead limbs and 

 trunks of 'Cottonwoods, elders, willows 

 and sycamores. As a rule, it avoids con- 

 iferous trees. Mr. H. W. Hinshaw says : 

 "This Woodpecker is a bird particularly 

 of the oak groves, and ranges fromi the 

 lower valleys of the mountains to a height 

 of at least six thousand feet, where, near 

 Fort Tejon, I found it fairly numerous 

 among the pines, this being the only lo- 

 cality where I found it among the coni- 

 fers." As a rule, however, it is not com- 

 mon above the limits of the oaks or syca- 

 mores — a height of about four thousand 

 feet. 



Nuttall's Woodpecker not only nests in 

 the dead limbs or stubs of the trees al- 

 ready mentioned, but also in the giant 

 cactus. The nesting hole is seldom more 

 than a few feet above the ground. Both 

 sexes assist in the work of excavating 

 and also in the incubation of the eggs. 



Like many other woodpeckers this 

 bird is a devoted parent, frequently per- 

 mitting itself to be caught rather than 

 leave its nest when it contains eggs or 

 young. Mr. B. T. Gault records the 

 finding of a nest the opening of which 

 he enlarged sufficiently to permit the 

 entrance of his hand. He was surprised 

 to find the bird — a female Nuttall's 



Woodpecker — still on the nest. On tak- 

 ing her out "she appeared to be stupefied 

 — dead, apparently — but soon revived." 

 Dr. J. G. Cooper has also taken a female 

 from its nest under similar conditions. 

 Others, too, have recorded like experi- 

 ences with this bird and it would seem 

 to be a constant characteristic of the 

 species. When frightened from their 

 nest both parents will remain near by 

 and both by voice and action, violently 

 protest against intrusion. 



INlrs. Florence Merriam Bailey gives 

 an excellent account of the habits of this 

 Woodpecker in her "Handbook of Birds 

 of the Western United States." She 

 sa3-s : "It has a nuthatch-like way of 

 flying up to light on the tmder side of a 

 limb, and when hanging upside down 

 turns itself around with as much ease as a 

 fly on a ceiling. At times the small 

 Nuttall waxes excited, and shakes his 

 wings as he gives his thin, rattling call. 

 All his notes are thin, and his quee-queep 

 has a sharp quality. His chit-tah is a 

 diminutive of the ja'cob of the California 

 woodpecker. He is a sturdy little fellow 

 and in flight will sometimes rise high in 

 air and fly long and steadily, dipping only 

 slightly over the brush. He has the full 

 strength of his 'convictions and will drive 

 a big flicker from a sycamore and then 

 stretch up on a branch and call out tri- 



trymg 



umphantly. Two Nuttalls 



cide whether to fight are 



sight. They shake their 



scold and dance about as 



aching to fly at each other 



quite make up their minds to- so grave a 



miatter." 



to de- 

 an amusing 

 feathers and 

 if they were 

 but couldn't 



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