158 BIRDS 



wanting in female. Golden brown shading into brown- 

 ish gray, and barred with black above. Underneath 

 light milky chocolate spotted with black. Wing hnings, 

 shafts of wing, and tail-quUls bright yellow. White 

 patch on lower back above tail, conspicuous when the 

 bird flies. 



Range — ^United States, east of Rockies; Alaska and British 

 America, south of Hudsons Bay. Occasional on Pa- 

 cific Slope. 



Migrations — ^Most commonly seen from April to October. 



If we were to follow the thirty-six aliases by which this 

 largest and commonest of our five common woodpeckers 

 is known throughout its wide range, we should find all its 

 peculiarities of color, flight, noises, and habits indicated 

 in its popular names, some of which are golden-winged 

 woodpecker, yellow hammer, high hole, yarup, and pigeon 

 woodpecker. It cannot but attract attention wherever 

 seen, with its beautiful plumage, conspicuously yellow if 

 its outstretched wings are looked at from below, conspicu- 

 ously brown if seen upon the ground. At a distance it 

 suggests the meadow-lark although it has no yellow breast. 

 Both of these big brown birds wear black crescent breast 

 decorations, however, and the flicker also has the habit 

 of feeding upon the ground, especially in autumn, a char- 

 acteristic not shared by its relations. It may be easily 

 distinguished by the white patch on its lower back seen as 

 it flies away. 



Early in the spring this bird of many names and many 

 voices makes itself known by a long, strong, sonorous 

 call, like a prolonged jovial laugh, Wicky^wick-wick-vnck I 



