SOME OHIO BIRDS 
47 
Thisusefulbirdis sometimes referred to as a Sapsucker, but wrongly, 
as no injury is done to the living wood of trees. It is of great econ¬ 
omic value to man and should receive encouragement and protection. 
A piece of suet, marrow, bone, or some cracked nuts, placed out of 
reach of cats, will be frequently visited during cold winter days. 
HAIRY WOODPECKER, Dryobaies villosus villosus (Linn.) 
The Hairy Woodpecker is nearly the exact duplicate of the 
Downy in color, but its larger size and stronger voice serve to dis¬ 
tinguish it. The Hairy is a lover of woodland, and is not so frequently 
found on city shade trees. The food habits of the two species are 
almost identical. 
BELTED KINGFISHER, Ceryle alcyon (Linn.) 
The persecution visited upon this species by gunners has made 
the Kingfisher a wild, shy bird. The wide-spread prejudice against 
it among anglers and sportsmen is caused by the belief that the 
species is detrimental to game fishes, whereas few fish, if any, that 
are of value to man, are eaten. Whatever fish are taken are small, 
since large ones can not be swallowed. Crawfish and other forms 
of invertebrate, aquatic life are more extensively consumed than fish. 
Grasshoppers, crickets, and other insects form an important item 
of food. This useful species, because of its beauty and association 
with our water courses, is deserving of the fullest protection. 
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, Coccyzus americanus americanus (Linn.) 
Perhaps this bird is best known by the name of Indian Hen or 
Rain Crow, especially in rural districts. To the old settler, its call 
was a prediction of rain. It is a common and uniformly distributed 
species over the state. Arboreal, shy and suspicious, living in re¬ 
tirement amid the dense foliage, it is much more frequently heard 
than seen. It is not, however, confined to the forests, but frequents 
the shade trees of towns. Its notes, while not musical, are not un¬ 
pleasing and are quite varied. In matters pertaining to housekeep¬ 
ing, it is careless. The nest is a rudely constructed platform of 
sticks placed in bushes or small trees at no great distance from the 
ground, and is frequently so loose that the eggs may be counted from 
beneath. The eggs are greenish-blue, elliptical, about the size of a 
robin’s, and usually two to four in number. Occasionally, the eggs of 
one or the other of our Cuckoos are found in the nests of other birds; 
but they are not parasites to the same extent as the English Cuckoo 
or our Cowbird. About 50 percent of their food is composed of 
caterpillars, the larger part of which are spiny or hairy forms, com¬ 
monly rejected by other birds. Grasshoppers, beetles, and many 
kinds of bugs, flies, and other insects are taken in varying propor¬ 
tions. Grasshoppers comprise 75 percent of the food for Septem¬ 
ber; rarely, a little fruit is eaten. 
