Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1914-03-11
Our Woodpeckers.
FLORENCE E. LILLE.
St. Anthony Park, Mimi.
The Downy Woodpecker

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our woodpeckers are all useful birds,
but to the little Downy, the smallest
OF them all, we must award the palm
for rendering the most valuable serv-
ice in the preservation of our trees.
DO you know him? Just little black
and white bird with red patch on the
back of his head; the female has not
the red patch.
But be sure that the red is on the
back of the head, as the Sapsucker
which is regarded as harmful also has
red patch but it is on the front of the
head.
The Downy Woodpecker feeds large
ly upon wood-borers, or larvae which
work beneath the bark of trees. Does
he go south for the winter? No, not
he! Why should he, when he can
find food in plenty at home? He is
with us the whole year round and not
only lives in the woods but comes to
our orchard and to the trees of our
dooryard; he tears open many cocoon
to feed upon the pupa or feeds upon
the larvae of insects in the winter be-
fore they become winged and able to
fly about and lay their eggs in the
spring. I recently read a newspaper
clipping which said that the state of
Washington had chosen the little
Downy for it's state bird because of it's
help in the preservation of it's valu-
able forest and fruit trees.
Look at it hunting a tree over for
food and watch it drilling through the
bark and into the wood when it has
located borer. Vigorous blows must
be struck by the chisel-like bill in
order to reach the insect and to strike
such blows the muscles of the neck
must be very strong and he must be
able to hold to the tree very firmly.
How is he fitted to hold to the tree?
He, like all woodpeckers, with one ex-
ception, has two toes turned forward
and two backward which enables him
to get a firm grasp OF the bark with
his claws. His tail is pointed and the
middle feathers are rather stiff, while
the many barbs which edge the
feathers push downward into the bark
and brace him effectually.
But this is not all of the wonderful
adaptation of the structure of this bird
to it's food habits; when it has located
the grub and has opened the hole with
its chisellike bill, fitted for use either
as a pick or for drilling, it might not
then be able to extend it's tongue far
beyond the end of the bill; this long,
distensible tongue is horny at the tip
and is covered with barbs which point
backward and which when thrust into
a grub pull it out easily.
"Downy' is believed to take his
little wife for life, not new one each
spring as most of our song birds do.
We see them together in pairs, male
and female, during the winter, and in
the summer they nest with us. The
nest is made by drilling hole, usually
in an old tree, and for mattress very
fine chips are used; the entrance to
the nest is the most perfect of circles;
the same tree may be used for several
summers but new excavation is al
ways made; that is why we sometimes
see several holes in one tree.
"Downy" cannot sing, but with his
ELL he beats rolling call which is
supposed to be his love song. We owe
much to this brave little bird, which
defies the cold of our northern winters
and remains with us, not only feeding
upon insects which would kill our
trees, but enlivening the cold days of
winter by his animated little presence
and by his CHEEKY peck, peck. But
there are many cold days and days