Evening star., 1944-10-05
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,peu.
''TAKOMA PARK

1AhOMA pARk.
II have just had a woodpecker in
my yard, but do not know which one.
1t had flaming red head, red to its
shoulders, and its back was barred like
Plymouth Rock hen.
ut was q good-sized bird, so I know
1t could not be the downy woodpecker,
which happens to be favorite OF mine,
and with which ! am quite well
acquainted.
Il put out some suet for it, but It did
not eat 1t was going up and down
tree trunk, and paid no attention
to my offering
1T did not go to the regular bird
feeding station. I am hoping that it
will return, and that you will be able
to tell me which woodpecker 1t was.
Sincerely yours, L. M. j."
This was the red-bellied woodpecker.
1t is 9la inches long, with red head.
upper parts black with narrow white
bars, and underparts gray and red.
Altogether, magnificent bird.
1t does not pay much attention to
suet until the weather gets colder.
one winter we had pair of them
which patronized a coconut-shell feeder
swung from an arch.
One would hang onto the shell. eating
the mixture of seeds, while its mate
would perch on top of the arch.
They made a beautiful and interesting
sight.
The female of this species is similar to
the male, but the red of the head is
just on the back Of the head, and the
red OF the abdomen is much paler, and
there is not as much Of it.
In some sections of the country the
red-bellied woodpecker is called, in
correctly, a sapsucker.
Other common names of this species
are chad, shamshack and ramshack. The
name OF. chad" comes from its cry.
zebra bird" is another common
name from the plumage.
This Is good insect killer, getting
the main part of It's food from trees.
and thus it does man a real sanitary
service.
We speak for the true woodpeckers.
not the sapsuckers, which at times have
been known to do real damage to trees.
The woodpeckers have marvellous
neck muscles, and use the tail as sup
port while they drum away.
The tongue is long and cylindrical,
ending in hard point and having
barbs along the sides. Muscles enable
the bird to stick its tongue out about
inches.
Flickers, which belong to the wood
pecker family, can stick their tongues
ott 21s inches.
The flicker tongue is covered with
sticky saliva. When the bird lolls out
that tongue into an ant nest. the in
sects rush forward to get at the large
worm, apparently, which has lust
entered the nest. That is where they
make their big mistake, because thev
stick to the tongue, whereupon the
Kicker draws in the instrument and
devours the ants.
Woodpeckers have bills with chisel
ends, and these enable them to c1,t
through the bark to the grubs hiding
beneath. These small holes do the tree
no harm.
Woodpeckers are worldwide birds.
found everywfre except Madagascar and
Australia. Forty five species have been
Identified in this country.
Locally we have the hairy woodpecker.
downy woodpecker, yellow-bellied sap
sucker, red-headed woodpecker, flicker
ana red-bellied woodpecker. The
pileated woodpecker once was fairly
common.
II Will be noticed that our correspond
ent says nothing about seeing the red
underparts Of the red-bellied wood
pecker. This is as it should be, rs this
feature OF the bird Is seldom noticed
until one gets very close. II u an odd
TACT that it should be named from the
feature which i not very apparent.