CONSPICUOUSLY BLACK AND WHITE 363 



and acorns. Major Bendire says he has often seen them 

 pecking at haunches of venison hung in the open air, and 

 picking up bits of fat around slaughter houses. 



394 a. GAIRDNER WOODPECKER. — Dri/obcUes 



pubescens gairdneri. 



Family : The Woodpeckers. 



Length: 6.00-7.00. 



Adult Male : Forehead and stripe down the back white ; nape scarlet ; 

 upper parts black ; wing-coverts lightly spotted with white ; outer 

 tail-feathers white, barred with black ; under parts gray. 



Adult Female: Like male, but no scarlet on nape. 



Foung: Like male, but crown scarlet. 



Geographical Distribution : From British Columbia to Southern Califor- 

 nia, east beyond the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. 



Breeding Range : Suitable localities as far south as Santa Cruz. 



Breeding Season: May and June. 



Nest : From 4 to 20 feet above the ground, in old stumps and dead trees. 



Eggs: 4 or 5 ; glossy white. Size 0.77 X 0.58. 



The Gairdner Woodpecker is the Western representa- 

 tive of the downy woodpecker of the Eastern States. 

 An attempt has been made to divide this subspecies, 

 restricting the California range of the Gairdner to Del 

 Norte and Siskiyou counties, and calling the species 

 " Willow Woodpecker " south of that locality. But in 

 accordance with Mrs. Bailey's " Hand Book," we shall 

 consider the Gairdner Woodpecker to have a range 

 "from British Columbia to Southern California." The 

 willow woodpecker differs from the Gairdner in being a 

 trifle smaller, with lighter under parts and spotted ter- 

 tials. {See Handbook of Birds of Western United 

 States.) 



