Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-06-11
For the Freeman.
WOOdpeckerS.
No. 2.
G.. II. PERKINS.

Probably none Of the species of wood
pecker is so common over the whole
country as the goldenwinged Or yellow
shafted flicker (CoLapteS aardtuS). 1t does
not remain here through the year, but
migrates southwark during the fall. 1t
is quite IL large bird, being usually over n
foot long. The characteristic markings
are, the brilliant yellow of the under sur
faces of the wings and tail, crescent
shaped patch of red on the back of the
neck and large and conspicuous black
crescent on the breast. The back is green
ish with black markings. The birds some
times become very tame, and are then
easily watched. In the awkward gro
tesqueness of their courtship they Guido
any species that we have. There was, for
several years, a nest of this species in an
old locust on the college grounds, and al
though the tree stood on the edge Of II
path along which there was constant pass
| ing, the birds did not seem much disturb.
ed by it. | have often seen them engaging
in the most astonishing performances
when mating. Usually several males pur.
sue one female, and as they reach her they
spread their tails and move backwards
and forwards and sideways, and go
through with all sorts of gyrations. The fe-
male flies from place to place followed by
the troupe performers. After the lady bird
is satisfied with the efforts of her admir-
ers to prove their devotion, she indicates
her preference for one, and the rest, as if
entirely satisfied with the arrangement, fly
off to seek II mate elsewhere, and so on
until all are mated.
The beak Of the golden winged wood
pecker is not quite straight, and is less
chiscl- shaped than that of other woodpeck-
ers, but it is none the less capable of doing
good work, for the nest is sometimes dug
out through more than foot of solid, hard
wood. The tongue is rather more extens-
lie than usual. 1t is very long and the
two branches of the Nshaped bone at its
base are unusually long, and pass up on
each side of the neck to the back part of
the head, where they come together and
run forward in II groove to the upper part
of the beak and extending along it nearly
reach the end where they are attached by
IN elastic membrane. In all woodpeckers
the tongue is abundantly supplied with
sticky fluid, but this is much greater in
quantity in the species under consideration.
1t seems probable that this woodpecker
bores into wood for insects less than most
of the species, seeking insects mainly in
decayed wood. While the chief diet of
this species is made up Of insects it also
eats many kinds of seeds and fruits, but
does not, think, do any extensive dam
age 10 fruit trees, and it is 10 be regarded
as highly useful bird
The only remaining species of wood
pecker is the yellow-beliGd. This is in
many places very common, and ON account
of its habits, has perhaps attracted more
attention than any other species, and from
n knowledge more or less full and accu-
rate of its habits many have drawn infer
ences rs to the character of the whole
family that were far from correct. In
its general appearance the yellow bellied
woodpecker is much like some of the
allied species, but it also presents some
decided differences. Especially does the
tongue differ from that of any other
woodpecker. 1t is not furnished with
the sprng.like, bony rods that other
species have, and it is short andi n.
capable of projection far beyond the end
Of the bill. Instead of being share and
barbed at the end it is blunt and covered
with long flexible hairs, 50 that it is like
brush. The colors of this species (Sphyr-
apicuS rariaS) differ in birds of different
ages, but there is always considerable yell
low on the back and belly. An average
adult specimen is of dingy yellow under
neath the back is notified with black and
yellowish brown; in the male the throat
and top of the head are crimson; the
wings are black with u wide white band
across the upper part and numerous white
spots near the tip; the tail is black, spotted
with white. In the female the throat is
white instead Of crimson. The length is
eight or nine inches. In passing | wish
to say in regard to the above description,
as Of all that have preceded it, that it has
not been my aim to give Il complete
description of any one of the species, but
only such more obvious characters as
should Indicate beyond doubt Just what
bird was under discussion.
As has been already noticed, the habits
of this bird have attracted no little atten-
ton, and yet it does not appear to me
wholly certain that we really know all
about it. There is quite an account both
for and against the bird, and it is not easy
to strike sure balance. In letter
received not long ago from Mr.. Paine,
who has for many years carefully studied
the habits of our Vermont birds, and
whose opinion value highly, he says that
he knows that the golden bellied wood
pcckers kill apple and many other kinds
of trees by girdling them. 1t seems quite
certain that they really cat the inner bark
of fruit and forest trees, as fragments of it
have often been found in their stomachs.
They not only bore holes in the bark, but
sometimes tear off large pieces of it. In
the west, where fruit trees are especially
valuable, and trees of every sort are of
far more value than in more thickly wood
ed regions, this bird is universally con-
demned. On the other hand, those observ-
ers who have most carefully examined the
bird state that there is always Il consider
able quantity of insects in the stomach
with the bits of bark.
In letter by Mr.. Henry Fairbanks, re-
Gently published in the Watchnlun, | find
the following interesting and valuable ac-
count. After speaking of the coming of a
pair of the birds to an elm near his house,
in which they bored several rows of holes
from which the sap flowed freely, he says
that they then ceased drilling holes and
only came once in while to see how
things were getting on. After the sap
began to thcken about the holes, great
numbers of small insects gathered about
them, and many were caught in the sticky
fluid. Zone day, perhaps week after
the holes were all finished, both birds