The Hairy Woodpeckers 
view of the world than that which is afforded by their dismal nursery. 
A careful observer in southern California will never fail to note the 
passage of the Vaux Swifts in migrations; but they are very variable both 
as to abundance and time of appearance. Their movements are con¬ 
trolled, no doubt, by weather conditions and the attendant variation of 
insect life. I have seen thousands of them in a day here at Santa Barbara 
under conditions which suggested a major representation of the species. 
They are never, I believe, counted locally abundant on their breeding 
grounds, and it would be safe to say that their total number does not 
approximate one-tenth that of eastern pelagica. Vaux Swifts mingle 
freely with others of the Cypseline kind, and with Swallows as well. They 
could never be mistaken for White-throats, nor seriously confused with 
the Tree Swallows, but when they are moving at considerable heights, 
one casts about in vain for some standard of comparison which may 
serve to distinguish them from Black Swifts (Neplicecetes niger borealis). 
No. 190 
Hairy Woodpecker 
No. 190a Modoc Woodpecker 
A. O. U. No. 393d, part. Dryobates villosus orius Oberholser. 
Synonym. — Sierra Woodpecker (Ridgway). 
Description. — Adult male: Above, in general, black, glossy (at least) on head 
and nape, paling, brownish dusky, on quills; nuchal feathers slightly lengthened, the 
anterior ones scarlet-red, forming a short nuchal band; nasal tufts dingy white; a 
narrow white superciliary and a broad white rictal stripe, curving upward and some¬ 
times nearly meeting fellow on hind nape (rarely connecting with white of back); 
a black area included on side of head continuous with nape; a black malar stripe broad¬ 
ening behind; a lengthened white patch down middle of back, connecting with sides 
of rump, or not; one to several rounded spots of white on middle wing-coverts, or not; 
primaries (except usually the first) and the outer secondaries marked with angular 
white spots on outer webs and with large rounded spots on the inner webs, the spots 
tending to fall into bars on the closed wing; the two outer pairs of tail-feathers white 
on exposed portion, and the succeeding pair chiefly white on outer web and tip; under 
parts sordid white or dingy brownish gray. Bill and feet plumbeous; iris reddish 
brown. Adult female: Like male, but without red on head. Immature: Like 
adult, but crown, instead of nape, red (scarlet, grenadine red, grenadine, or even yellow¬ 
ish) ; the forehead and often the crown finely spotted with white. Length about 
228.6 (9.00); wing 129 (5.08); tail 80 (3.15); bill 32 (1.26); tarsus 23 (.91). Bill of 
female 27 (1.06). 
Remarks. — Dryobates villosus is a highly variable species, of which some twenty 
forms are now recognized. The chief variable is that of size, which increases from the 
diminutive auduboni of Florida to a form, leucomelas, or septentrionalis (Nuttall), 
of interior Alaska, which bulks fully twice as large. Another variable developed in 
987 
