WOODPECKERS: MEARNS WOODPECKER 
387 
face band becoming pale yellowish on throat; crown red; sides of head, upperparts, 
and chest band glossy greenish blue-black, chest band extensively solid black, streaked 
below with white; rest of underparts white streaked with black except medianly; 
rump, upper tail coverts, and patch on wing quills white; tail black. Adult female: 
Similar, but with a black band separating white of forehead from red of crown; iris 
variable (pinkisl? white, bluish, brownish, or yellowish); bill black. Young in 
juvcnal plumage: Head markings less defined, black duller, but color pattern that of 
the adult male. 
Range. —Transition and Upper Sonoran Zones from northern Arizona, northern 
New Mexico, and western Texas south over northwestern Mexico. 
State Records. —The Mearns Woodpecker is the most abundant woodpecker 
in many parts of southern New Mexico, but it also occurs in other parts of the State 
in the oak belt where it finds acorns, its principal food. Tn the Capitan Mountains 
it was commonly breeding around the base of the mountains June 8-19, 1899, and 
in western New Mexico it was common at Largo Canyon as a breeder (Bailey). 
[August 6, 1916, old and young birds were observed on the head of the Gallina 
River, 18 miles north of Cuba at 7,500 feet (Ligon); June 28-July 3, 1919, a nest 
of full-fledged young was found in a Douglas fir at the south end of Moreno Valley, 
at 8,700 feet (Piper). Great numbers were seen May 8, 1920, in yellow pines from 
7,000-7,500 feet at the north end of the Black Range, and it was found west of 
Chloride at 7,000 and 6,400 feet in May and June, 1920. It was observed as low 
as 6,000 feet on the east slope of the Black Range, also low down in the Animas 
Mountains (Ligon, 1916-1918); and recorded at Silver City, 5,800 feet, May S, 1916 
(Kellogg) .1 
Ligon considers it resident wherever found, but at times it wanders after the 
breeding season, perhaps like the Redhead, in poor acorn years. It has been recorded 
in the fall in the Chuska Mountains, October 11, 1908, at 8,500 feet (Birdseye), 
where the bark of the yellow pines was riddled with the holes made in former years 
for the storing of acorns. Several were seen the middle of August, 1905, in the 
lower pine belt of the San Mateo Mountains (Hollister); and others seen in Sep¬ 
tember, 1909, on Mount Taylor (Goldman). One was seen at San Pedro the middle 
of July, 1889 (Bailey); at Albuquerque August 18, 1899 (Birtwell); and on the 
Pecos River at 7,S00 feet near Willis, the species became common after August 
27, 1883 (Henshaw); although it had not been seen previous to that date and evi¬ 
dently did not breed in the vicinity. It was found frequenting the oak groves, 
but there was no indication anywhere of acorn storing. Two were seen September 
6, 1903, northeast of Mora, at 8,000 feet near the foot of Ocate Crater (Surber). 
Eastward the species extends to the Guadalupe Mountains, where it was abundant 
in early August, 1901 (Bailey). Throughout southern New Mexico it ranges down 
to about 5,000 feet or about to the lower limit of the oaks, and is found in the moun¬ 
tains as a breeder to about 7,500 feet. 
In the Guadalupe Mountains west of the Carlsbad Bird Reserve it was common 
above 5,500 feet, in January, 1915 (Willett); and in the same region south of Queen 
it was abundant in the yellow pines December 31, 1915 (Ligon). 
Nest. —Usually in white oaks, but also in pines. Eggs: 4 or 5, white. 
Food. —Principally acorns, but also insects, including ants, bugs, flies, and 
grasshoppers. 
General Habits. —In coming down the heavily timbered moun¬ 
tains, cherishing the memory of one distant view of a Three-toed Wood¬ 
pecker and perhaps catching a glimpse of a silent Hairy in passing, you 
