What Bird is That? Part 11

_Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Case 3, Figs. 21, 22; Case 6, Fig. 43_

Adults of both s.e.xes have the whole head red; young, during their first winter, have the head grayish brown, and a black band across the white wing-feathers. L. 9.

_Range._ Eastern United States, west to Rockies; local east of the Alleghanies and north of Pennsylvania.

Was.h.i.+ngton, rather common S.R., rare W.V.

Ossining, rare P.R., common in fall, Aug. 27-Oct.

12. Cambridge, irregular at all seasons; sometimes common in fall. N. Ohio, common S.R., Apl.

20-Sept. 25; occasionally winters. Glen Ellyn, common S.R., Feb. 19-Nov. 6; a few winter. SE.

Minn., common S.R., Apl. 4-Sept. 17; rare in winter.

Adding to the normal habits of a Woodp.e.c.k.e.r marked skill as a flycatcher, the Red-head stops his grub-hunting and swings out after a pa.s.sing insect with a dazzling display of red, white and blue-black.

Noisy as he is conspicuous, he beats his log-drum, rolls a tree toad-like _krrring_, or, with tireless persistency utters a whistled croak. In the northeastern states Red-heads are distributed irregularly.

They are rarely common in the summer, but in the fall they sometimes appear in numbers. Whenever they come we are soon aware of their presence.

The nest is generally in a dead tree; the 4-6 white eggs are laid in May.

RED-BELLIED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r

_Centurus carolinus. Case 3, Fig. 23_

Back and wings evenly barred with black and white, hence the name 'Zebra'; the female and young have the front part of the crown gray. L. 9.

_Range._ Eastern United States, north to southern Pennsylvania, western New York and southern Minnesota; casually further.

Was.h.i.+ngton, locally common P.R. Cambridge, A.V., one record. N. Ohio, tolerably common P.R. SE.

Minn., uncommon P.R.

A common, hoa.r.s.e-voiced resident of orange groves and gardens who with a _chuh-chuh_, jerkily hitches himself upward in the routine of the daily grub hunt. It is rare at the northern part of its range, but resident wherever found. The nest is in dead or living trees; the 4-6 white eggs are laid in late April or early May.

NORTHERN FLICKER

_Colaptes auratus luteus. Case 2, Figs. 21, 22; Case 3, Fig. 20_

The white rump and yellow wing-linings, displayed in flight; black breast-crescent, spotted underparts and fairly large size, readily distinguish this beautiful bird. The female very properly lacks the male's 'moustache.' L. 12.

_Range._ Eastern North America, from North Carolina and southern Illinois to Canada and Alaska. The Southern Flicker (_C. a. auratus_) a smaller, darker race, inhabits the South Atlantic and Gulf States.

Was.h.i.+ngton, common S.R., rare W.V. Ossining, common S.R., Mch. 25-Oct. 30; a few winter.

Cambridge, very common S.R., common W.V. N. Ohio, common S.R., Mch. 10-Nov. 15 a few winter. Glen Ellyn, common S.R., Mch. 7-Dec. 24; a few winter.

SE. Minn., common S.R., Mch. 21-Oct. 16.

Thirty years ago the Flicker, High-hole or Yellow-hammer, was prey of any boy with a gun and was correspondingly wild and little known; now, thanks to the Audubon Society, he is almost as domestic as the Robin. In search of ants and their eggs, he hunts our lawns and even accepts the hospitality of our nest-logs. A great acquisition to our dooryard life is this bird of beautiful colors, quaint habits, and strange notes. His loud, strongly accented call, _kee-yer_, his rapidly repeated mellow _weechew, weechew_, possess character even if they lack musical quality.

The Flicker nests in holes and lays from 5-9 white eggs in late April or early May.

GOATSUCKERS, SWIFTS, HUMMINGBIRDS. ORDER MACROCHIRES

NIGHTHAWKS, WHIP-POOR-WILLS, ETC. FAMILY CAPRIMULGIDae

CHUCKWILL'S WIDOW

_Antrostromus carolinensis. Case 6, Fig. 40_

A larger, browner bird than the Whip-poor-will, with branched, not simple bristles at the sides of the bill. Breast-patch whiter in the male than in the female. L. 12.

_Range._ Southern states north to Virginia; wintering from southern Florida southward and migrating northward in March.

Was.h.i.+ngton, one record. Cambridge, A.V., one record, Dec.

What the Whip-poor-will is to the north the Chuckwill is to the south.

The difference in their names expresses the syllabic difference in their calls, but the Chuckwill's notes are uttered more evenly and lack the marked accent on the first "Whip" of its northern cousin's song.

The Chuckwill lays its two eggs in April on the ground in the woods, where it lives. They are white with delicate lilac markings and a few brownish spots.

WHIP-POOR-WILL

_Antrostomus vociferus vociferus. Case 6, Fig. 41_

Outer wing-quills barred with rusty, breast-band white in the male, buff in the female. L. 9.

_Range._ Breeds from northern Georgia north to Canada, winters from the Gulf States southward, starting north in April.

Was.h.i.+ngton, common S.R., Apl. 13-Oct 13. Ossining, common S.R., Apl. 19-Oct. 17. Cambridge, formerly S.R., now chiefly T.V., Apl. 30-Sept. 20. N. Ohio, locally common S.R., Apl. 29-Sept. 15. Glen Ellyn, rare, spring records only, Apl. 19-May 21. SE.

Minn., common S.R., Apl. 17-Sept. 28.

A mysterious, silent, flitting shadow, should we chance to arouse it from its sleep in the forest by day, at dusk the Whip-poor-will takes the center of the stage and announces his presence to the world.

_Whi['p]-poor-will, whi['p]-poor-will_ he calls with a snap and a swinging rhythm that makes the twilight ring with the oft-repeated notes.

Two eggs are laid on the ground in the woods in May. They are dull white with delicate obscure lilac markings, and a few brownish gray spots.

NIGHTHAWK

_Chordeiles virginia.n.u.s virginia.n.u.s. Case 6, Fig. 39_

A white mark across the black outer wing-quills is very conspicuous in flight; seen from below it suggests a hole in the bird's wing. The female has the throat buff and no white band in the tail. L.

10.