THE HAIRY WOODPECKER. 



{Dryobates villosus.) 



The woodpeckers on trunk of gnarled trees 



Tap their quick drum-beats with their horny beaks. 



— Isaac McLellan, "Nature's Invitation." 



The geographical and the breeding 

 ranges of the Hairy Woodpecker are 

 practically the same. These include 

 eastern North America from the south- 

 ern provinces of Canada southward to 

 the States bordering the Gulf of Mexico 

 and those of the southeastern United 

 States bordering the Atlantic Ocean. In 

 these States it is occasionally found dur- 

 ing the winter season. Westward its 

 range extends to the Rocky Mountains. 

 It is, however, most abundant in the 

 forest areas of the Northern and Middle 

 States, where, as it is a hardy bird and 

 not greatly affected by extreme cold, 

 it is generally a constant resident. 

 Though occasionally found in old or- 

 chards, its choice feeding grounds are 

 the timbered regions of river banks and 

 other bodies of water. Here and in the 

 trees at the outer borders of forests it 

 seeks its food by itself, for it has an un- 

 social disposition, and it is seldom that 

 more than a pair are seen together. ''It 

 does not live in, harmony with smaller 

 species of its own kind, and drives them 

 away when they encroach on its feeding 

 grounds, being exceedingly greedy in 

 disposition and always hungry." It also 

 is not adverse to a home in the deeper 

 forests and may even frequent clumps 

 of trees in the open. 



The Hairy Woodpecker is one of the 

 most useful and valuable friends of 

 human interests. Not only does it feed 

 upon the larvae that burrow in the wood 

 and bark of our forest and orchard trees, 

 but also upon beetles and other insects. 

 It is only in the winter season, when its 

 natural food is not readily obtained, that 

 it gathers seeds and fruits. It never at- 

 tacks a sound tree for any purpose, and 

 the loss caused by the amount of use- 

 ful grain destroyed is greatly overbal- 

 anced by the good that it does in the 

 destruction of noxious insects. 



The value of this shy and retiring 

 bird is well illustrated by Mr. V. A. 

 Alderson, who says in the "Oologist" 

 (July, 1890) : "Last summer potato 

 bugs covered every patch of potatoes in 

 Marathon County, Wisconsin. One of 

 my friends here found his patch an ex- 

 ception, and, therefore, took pains to 

 find out the reason, and observed a 

 Hairy Woodpecker making frequent 

 visits to the potato field and going from 

 there to a large pine stub a little dis- 

 tance away. After observing; this for 

 about six weeks, he made a visit to the 

 pine stub, and found, on inspection, a 

 large hole in its side, almost fifteen feet 

 up. He took his ax and cut down the 

 stub, split it open, and found inside over 

 two bushels of bugs. All had their 

 heads off and bodies intact. Now, why 

 did the Woodpecker carry the bugs 

 whole to the tree and only bite off and 

 eat the heads, which could have been 

 done in the open field?" 



The Hairy Woodpecker has no leisure 

 moments. He is always active and 



The little tap of busy bill 



The signal of his work and skill. 



is ever present 



To rid the soil of every foe, 

 To guard the leafy trees. 



The movements of this Woodpecker 

 are interesting, for, like its sister species, 

 it moves with equal facility either up- 

 wards or downwards, sidewise or back- 

 wards upon a tree trunk. From time to 

 time it will stop and seem to listen, and, 

 finally bracing itself with the stiff feath- 

 ers of its spiney tail, it will deliver pow- 

 erful blows with its chisel-like bill at 

 some point that will be likely to furnish 

 a dainty morsel of food. There is little 

 doubt that its sense of hearing is very 

 acute and that it can detect the slight- 

 est movement of an insect in the bark 



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