227 
Field Marks. Black and white, or black and smoky white, coloration. Many white 
=pots. Separated from the Downy Woodpecker by larger size. 
Nesting. In holes drilled in tree trunks. 
Distribution. The wooded parts of North America. In Canada, wherever there is 
limber. 
SUBSPECIES. Divided into a number of geographical races. The type form, 
Dryobates villosus vUlosus, is the eastern one extending into southern Manitoba, and per- 
haps into adjoining parts of the other Prairie Provinces. North of this is found the Northern 
A ^uiry Dryobates villosus leucomelas which differs from villosus only in slightly larger size. 
It occupies the great north woodlands of the interior, south to northern British Columbia, 
and most of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The Rocky Mountain Hairy Wood- 
pecker Dryobates viUosus monticola, as its name suggests, is the bird of the interior of 
si ithern British Columbia, extending southeastward to Colorado. It is of the size of 
leucomelas, but with the white spotting of the wing-coverts reduced. Harris’ Woodpecker 
Dryobates villosus harrisi is the Hairy Woodpecker of the Pacific coast, from Oregon, north 
to Sitka. It is a very different looking bird from those before mentioned, having the whites 
of the breast decidedly tinged with smoky brown, and the spots of the wing-coverts almost 
al ent. The Queen Charlotte Island Woodpecker Dryobates villosus picoideus occupies 
the islands of that name, and is a darker and still more smoky bird than harrisi. The 
Sitka Hairy Woodpecker Dryobates villosus sitkensis is the bird of the southeastern Alaskan 
coast, and perhaps northwestern British Columbia. In coloration, it is between harrisi 
and monticola. 
Some of these subspecies are founded on average characters, and there 
are many intergrades, as would be expected from the many geographical 
contacts between them. The extremes of the white and smoky-breasted 
types are very distinct. 
The Hairy Woodpecker gets its name from the white feathers of the 
back, which fall over the black borders in a loose, disconnected way faintly 
suggestive of hair. It is one of the common Woodpeckers and quite 
typical of the family in its habits. It is not as familiar about houses or 
orchards as the Downy Woodpecker, preferring the woods to orchards or 
shade trees. 
Economic Status. Insects constitute 77 per cent of the food of this 
species; they are mostly beetles, but include ants, scales, and sawflies; 
22 per cent is vegetable, almost entirely wild fruit. 
394. Downy Woodpecker (Including Nelson’s, Batchelder’s, Gairdner’s, and 
Valdez Downy Woodpeckers). Dryobates pubescens. L, 6-83. Plate XXXIV A. 
A very small, black and white Woodpecker, the only other colour on it is in the small, 
bright red nape bar on the male. Hardly distinguishable in colour from the Hairy ( See 
Plate XXXIII B). In the far west, the whites may be lightly, to heavily, tinged with smoky 
brown. 
Distinctions. With its sharply contrasted black and white, or black and smoky white, 
to be confused only with its larger relative, the Hairy Woodpecker, which parallels it in all 
plumages. The principal difference, besides size, is in the outer tail feathers, which are 
barred with black instead of being solid white (Compare with Figure 241 b). 
Field Marks. Black and white, or black and smoky white coloration. Many white 
spots. Separated from the Hairy Woodpecker by smaller size. 
Nesting. In holes drilled in trees. 
Distribution. All wooded parts of North America, but not quite as northern in 
extreme range as the Hairy Woodpecker. In Canada, most of the wooded areas across 
the continent. 
SUBSPECIES. Divided into a number of geographical races. Of these, the fol- 
lowing are accredited to Canada. The Eastern Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens 
medianus, that occupies most of eastern North America, extends west throughout the 
Dakotas, and is probably the bird of the southern Prairie Provinces. The Northern or 
Nelson’s, Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens ndsoni is very slightly larger, and with 
a whiter breast and less barring on outer tail feathers. It can be expected to blend into 
medianus in the Prairie Provinces, and extends northwestward through Mackenzie, northern 
91054—15J 
