C. H. Macklin—Breeding the White-headed Woodpecker 245


of the neck. The young bird has no yellow on the abdomen or eye

ring but shows the patch on the nape as it is a young cock.


I obtained my pair from the Zoological Gardens, where they were

on deposit in the Bird House in January, 1937. I understand that

another member of the Society had them in an aviary during the

previous summer. They were in beautiful condition and I exhibited

them at the “ Crystal Palace 55 Show at Dorland Hall and at the Foreign

Bird League Show at Nottingham. They were quite tame, both taking

mealworms from my fingers. I fed them on insectivorous food,

“ Mosquito ” and fruit, banana, apple, and grapes ; they take quite

a large quantity of fruit and so are easier to cater for than some of

the more insectivorous species.


They were kept in a cage in my bird-room until April. They did a

good deal of damage to the woodwork but spent most of their time

demolishing the natural oak bark with which I lined the cage. Owing

to the large amount of fruit in their diet, they were rather dirty but

kept themselves quite spotless with frequent baths.


On 19th April I put them in one of my outdoor aviaries which I

was able to give them to themselves. This aviary is built in a corner

with the back and one side against old brick walls, completely sheltering

it from the north and east. The 3ize is about 14 by 7 feet and 6 feet

high ; half the area is open flight, the other half a brick-built shelter.

I lined all the woodwork and the brick walls with bark and with outside

boards with the bark still in place. In the flight I placed an old hollow

apple tree trunk and on the wall of the flight hung up a wooden box

covered and lined inside with bark, 2 ft. 3 in. high, 1 foot wide,

8 inches back to front, with a sloping roof and a hole under the

eaves of the roof in front.


I put in a few apple branches and fir poles, both horizontal and

upright, for perches.


The Woodpeckers immediately inspected the tree trunk and the

box and took to the latter for roosting purposes, having slightly enlarged

the entrance hole.


On 29th May the first egg was laid in the box. They had made no

nest at all and the bottom of the box contained only a few chips of

bark. On 3rd June there were four eggs in the box, but one was only



