FLICKER. 



Colaptes auratus Swainson. 



Plate XXXVI. Fig. 2. 



IS^HE last days of May in a Wisconsin forest of deciduous trees and white pines are 

 full of hilarity and pleasant anticipation. Even the indifferent is inspired by 

 the beauty of the budding trees and the song of the birds. Many of the trees and 

 shrubs are in full flower and particularly the rosy-white fragrant blossoms of the 

 wild crab trees arrest our attention. The sombre green of the single specimens and 

 dense groups of white pines contrasts strikingly with the surrounding fresh light green 

 of the deciduous trees and with the brownish-purple of the opening leaf-buds of the 

 oaks. How beautiful and suggestive of spring is the fragrance of the woods ! Under- 

 neath a carpet of delicate woodland flowers, on all sides the various green tints of the 

 new leaves, the wealth of blossoms, and above the deep azure of the sky! Bird-life 

 reigns supreme in the woods, especially around their outskirts, w^here many familiar 

 songs resound throughout the day. Almost all members of the woodland choir have 

 once more returned from their dangerous and fatigueing journey in the far South. Many 

 even come from the tropics of Central and South America, where they sojourned among 

 a wealth of palms, beautiful orchids and other tropical plants. The northern w^ood- 

 lands, how^ever, are their true home. Here they were raised, here they sing, w^oo, and 

 construct their domiciles. The days at this time of the year are the most beautiful. 

 A spirit of restfulness and peace pervades the landscape. 



Among the denizens of the northern woodland borders the Flicker or Golden- 

 winged Woodpecker is one of the most attractive and conspicious. It is an exceptionally 

 noisy bird during this time of the year, its far-sounding drumming on old resonant limbs 

 and its loud melodious call-notes being heard in all directions. Its common notes, 

 resembling the syllables garuck-garuck-gairuck, and garuha-tnha-ruba are most fre- 

 quently heard. During the love season a quickly given tschuck-tschuck-tschuck, a clear 

 wick-ab, wick-ah, wick-ah or wick-up, wick-up, and a soft persuasive quit-tu, quit-tu, 

 qait-tu, are famiUar sounds in the concert of Nature. A rapidly uttered laughing the-he- 

 he-he-be and a low tack-tack-tack and many othet sounds are heard when several 

 rivals are in pursuit of a female. "Another call," says Major Chas. Bendire, "when 

 courting its mate sounds like oait-ouit, and ends with a soft puir-puir, or a cooing 

 yu-cab, yu-cab. Low chuckling sounds are also frequently uttered during their love 

 making ; another common call-note sounds like zee-ab, zee-ab, and during the summer a 

 clear pi^ack, pi-ack, or pi~aby is also frequently heard ; in fact no other of our Wood- 

 peckers utters such a variety of sounds." 



It is very interesting to watch several males wooing a female. The latter appears 

 very coy and coquettish, favoring now one, and a few moments later another male. 

 This playing among the trees, this drumming, calling, and wooing lasts often for several 

 days. The mates do not attack each other like other birds under similar circumstances, 

 they do not fight and scream, they simply pay their addresses to the female, play hide 



