Conspicuously Black and White 



side of neck. Wings, with six white bands crossing them 



transversely; white underneath. 

 Female — Similar, but without scarlet on the nape, which is white. 

 Range— "b-dsXtxTi North America, from Labrador to Florida. 

 Migrations — Resident all the year throughout its range. 



The downy woodpecker is similar to his big relative, the 

 hairy woodpecker, in color and shape, though much smaller. 

 His outer tail feathers are white, barred with black, but the 

 hairy's white outer tail feathers lack these distinguishing marks. 



He is often called a sapsucker — though quite another bird 

 alone merits that name — from the supposition that he bores into 

 the trees for the purpose of sucking the sap ; but his tongue is ill 

 adapted for such use, being barbed at the end, and most orni- 

 thologists consider the charge libellous. It has been surmised 

 that he bores the numerous little round holes close together, so 

 often seen, with the idea of attracting insects to the luscious sap. 

 The woodpeckers never drill for insects in live wood. The 

 downy actually drills these little holes in apple and other trees to 

 feed upon the inner milky bark of the tree— the cambium layer. 

 The only harm to be laid to his account is that, in his zeal, he 

 sometimes makes a ring of small holes so continuous as to inad- 

 vertently damage the tree by girdling it. The bird, like most 

 others, does not debar himself entirely from fruit diet, but enjoys 

 berries, especially poke-berries. 



He is very social with birds and men alike. In winter he 

 attaches himself to strolling bands of nuthatches and chickadees, 

 and in summer is fond of making friendly visits among village 

 folk, frequenting the shade trees of the streets and grapevines 

 of back gardens. He has even been known to fearlessly peck at 

 flies on window panes. 



In contrast to his large brother woodpecker, who is seldom 

 drawn from timber lands, the little downy member of the family 

 brings the comfort of his cheery presence to country homes, 

 beating his rolling tattoo in spring on some resonant limb under 

 our windows in the garden with a strength worthy of a larger 

 drummer. 



This rolling tattoo, or drumming, answers several purposes: 

 by it he determines whether the tree is green or hollow ; it startles 

 insects from their lurking places underneath the bark, and it 

 also serves as a love song. 



56 



