Bird Study jg 



LESSON XVII 

 The Flicker 



Leading thought — The flicker is a true woodpecker but has changed its 

 habits and spends much of its time in meadows hunting for ants and other 

 insects; it makes its nest in trees, Hke its relatives. It can be distin- 

 guished from the meadow-lark by the white patch above the tail which 

 shows dtiring flight. 



Methods — This is one of the most important of birds of the meadow 

 and the work may be done in September when there are plenty of young 

 flickers, which have not learned to be wary. The observations may be 

 made in the field, a few questions given at a time. 



Observations — i. Where do you find the flicker in the summer and 

 early autumn? How can you tell it from the meadow-lark in color and 

 inflight? 



2. What is it doing in the meadows? How does it manage to trap 

 ants? 



3. What is the size of the flicker as compared to the robin ? What 

 is its general color as compared to the meadow-lark? 



4. Describe the colors of the flicker as follows : Top and sides of the 

 head, back of the neck, lower back, tail, wings, throat and breast. The 

 color and shape of the beak. Is there a difference in markings between 

 the males and females ? 



5. Does the patch of white above the tail show, except when the 

 bird is flying? Of what use is this to the bird? 



6. What is the flicker's note? At what time of spring do you hear it 

 first? 



7. Where does the flicker build its nest and how? What is the 

 color of the eggs? How many are there? 



8. How does it feed its young? How do the young flickers act? 



9. How many names do you know for the flicker? 

 Supplementary reading — "The Bird of Many Names," Nestlings of 



Forest and Marsh ; A Fellow of Expedients, Long; Our Birds and Their 

 Nestlings, p, 187; Audubon Leaflet No. 5. 



The high-hole appears to drum more promiscuously than does the downy. He 

 utters his long, loud spring call, whick-whtck-whick , and then begins to rap with his 

 beak upon his perch before the last note has reached your ear. I have seen him drum 

 sitting upon the ridge of the barn. The log-cock, or pileated woodpecker, the largest 

 and wildest of our Northern species, I have never heard drum. His blows should wake 

 the echoes. 



When the woodpecker is searching for food, or laying siege to some hidden grub, 

 the sound of his hammering is dead or muffled, and is heard but a few yards. It is 

 only upon dry, seasoned timber, freed of its bark, that he beats his reveille to spring and 

 woos his mate. — John Burroughs, in Birds, Bees and Sharp Eyes. 



