BIRDS 



79 



62. Woodpeckers. — These birds are admirably adapted to creep 

 and climb up the trunks of trees, for they have two clawed toes 

 extending forward, and two backward, and their tail feathers are so 

 stiffened that they serve as props against the bark when the bird is 

 resting (Fig. 66). The food of the woodpeckers is largely com- 

 posed of insects, which these birds secure by digging them out of the 



bark or the wood with their 

 stout, chisel-like bills, and 



then spearing them 

 their long tongues. 



with 



Fig. 65. — Short-eared owl. (Wright.) 



Fig. 66. — Downy woodpecker. 

 (Wright.) 



63. Perching birds. — This order, as we have said before, con- 

 tains by far the largest number of species of birds. All these birds 

 are specially adapted for holding to the limbs of trees, since the mech- 

 anism of the leg is so arranged that the toes are automatically 

 clutched to the support upon which the bird is sitting. In this 

 group are included practically all of our bird vocalists, hence the 

 perching birds are often called the " song birds." Among the most 

 beautiful of our songsters are the bobolinks (Fig. 67), catbird, and 

 thrushes (Fig. 68). 



The young of all the perching birds, for weeks after they are 



