THE RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. 347 



No. 151. 



RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. 



A. O. U. No. 395. Dryobates borealis (Vieill.). 



Description. — Adult male : Crown and hind neck glossy black, continuous 

 across lores with malar stripe which is produced behind, breaking up on sides of 

 breast into heavy black spots ; auriculars broadly silky white, bordered above nar- 

 rowly and posteriorly with bright scarlet "cockades" ; touches of white on nostrils, 

 at base of lower mandible on sides, and over and behind eye; remaining upper 

 parts brownish dusky, heavily spotted and cross-banded with white ; tail blackening, 

 the outer feathers irregularly barred with white; under parts white, immaculate 

 on chin and throat, elsewhere sordid ; heavily spotted with black or dusky on sides 

 of breast, sides, flanks, and crissum; bill bluish black, small for size of bird. 

 Adult female: Similar but without scarlet cockades. Length 8.00-8.50 (203.2- 

 215.9); measurements of the Columbus specimen: wing 4.S0 (122.); tail 3.23 

 (82.) ; bill .86 (21.8). 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink size; intermediate between Hairy and 

 Downy; narrow scarlet stripes (1-3 of an inch long by i-io broad) on sides of 

 hind head distinctive. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Ohio. Nest, in hole of pine tree at considerable 

 heights. Eggs, 4-6, white. Av. size, .93 x .69 (23.6 x 17.5). 



General Range. — The south-eastern United States, west to eastern Texas 

 and Indian Territory, north regularly to Virginia and Tennessee, casually to Penn- 

 sylvania (Coues) and Ohio. 



Range in Ohio. — One record, Columbus. 



A specimen, found by Professor Hine, in the O. S. U. collection, bears 

 the following label, in the well-known hand-writing of Dr. Jasper : Obverse 

 — "Pious borealis. Red Cockated (sic) Woodpecker. March 15. 1872. 

 Loc. Columbus, O." ; Reverse. — "It was in company with another of its own 

 kind and 2 or 3 Sapsuckers, Nuthatches, etc., and shot from a high tree 

 between Canal and Scioto Rivers." 



The appearance recorded above marks the northernmost extension of the 

 species. The bird was evidently trying to do something to justify the name 

 borealis, so unwisely bestowed upon it by Vieillot in 1807. 



"This species is a common inhabitant of the 'piny woods.' It prefers 

 the higher branches of the trees, and frequently hangs head downward while 

 feeding on a cone at the extremity of a branch. Its call note suggests the 

 yank, yankj of the White-bellied Nuthatch, but is louder, hoarser, and not 

 so distinctly enunciated" (Chapman). 



