PICOIDES HIRSUTUS. 
247 
PICOIDES HIRSUTUS. 
Banded Three-toed Woodpecker. 
Picoides hirsutus Baird, Birds N. A.; 1858, 98. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, not robust. Size, large. Sternum, not very stout. Tongue, rather thin and horny at the tip which 
is provided with barbs for one third of the terminal length. The extensible sheath occupies about one half of the length of 
the tongue. Terminal hook of scapula, angled above and below. 
Color. Adult male. Glossy black above, including sides of head, maxillary line and bands on the sides and flanks, 
with line extending from base of bill, down the sides of neck, short, narrow line back of eye, spots on the primaries and on 
the secondaries, bands on back to rump, all but basal portion of two outer tail feathers, and the tips of next pair, white, 
Forehead, spotted with white. Square patch on the top of the head, saffron-yellow. Under portion, including under tail 
and under wing coverts, white, while the feathers of the latter are banded with black and the breast is faintly tinged with 
yellowish. 
Adult female. Similar to the male, but lacks the yellow on the head which is replaced by black spotted with white, 
and the white on the tail is not as extended. Iris, brown, bill, black, bluish at base of lower mandible, and feet, bluish, 
in all stages. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Like the preceding, there is more black spotting below in some specimens than in others, but they are generally quite 
uniform in color. Readily known from other Woodpeckers by the absence of any red on the head which is replaced by yel¬ 
low. Known from the preceding species, by the presence of the transverse white bandings above. There is also a line 
back of the eye in arcticus but it is much narrower than in the present bird. Distributed, as a constant resident, through¬ 
out North America from the latitude of Maine to. the Arctic Circle. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from the North. Length, 9-25; stretch, 15 25; wing, 4*75; tail, 3*60; bill, 1*15; 
tarsus, *60. Longest specimen, 9*75; greatest extent of wing, 16*00; longest wing, 5*25; tail, 3*80; bill, 1*25; tarsus, *75. 
Shortest specimen, 8*50; smallest extent of wing, 14*00; shortest wing, 4*00; tail, 3*50; bill, 1*00; tarsus, *60. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed in cylinder-shaped holes, generally excavated in living trees. Dimensions, diameter of external orifice, 
1*50, greatest internal, 3*00. Internal depth, 15*00. 
Eggs, four to six in number, rather ovate in form, pure, polished pearly-white in color. Dimensions from *65 x *90 to 
*70x*95. 
HABITS. 
The first time that I ever met with the Banded Three-toed Woodpeckers,, was at Errol, 
New Hampshire, some years ago, late in autumn; so late in fact, that the ground was 
covered with snow to the depth of several inches. I was walking along the margin of a 
heavily wooded tract, looking after Pine Grosbeaks which were particularly abundant 
there, when my attention was attracted by hearing the harsh cry of a Woodpecker which 
was new to me. It instantly occurred to me that it was a Three-toed and, upon going 
quickly in the direction of the sound, my suspicions were confirmed by seeing the bird on 
the trunk of a tree. The Banded Woodpecker, for such it proved to be, was quite unsus¬ 
picious as it paid no apparent attention to me; therefore, I walked as near as I chose, 
watched its movements for a few moments', and then shot it. But unfortunately, although 
killed at once, it did not fall to the ground but clung, lifeless, to a tuft of moss on the side 
of the tree, some forty feet above the ground. Thus I was obliged to climb the straight 
trunk in order to secure my prize which proved to be a fine male. 
