- Length
- 6-7 inches, the smallest of our Woodpeckers.
- Male and Female:
- Closely resembling the last species. Wings and tail barred with white; the narrow, red head band of the male is replaced by a white stripe in the female.
- Note:
- A short, sharp note and a rattling cry, which starts and ends in an abrupt precision, suggestive of a mechanical contrivance set off with a spring. This it uses in lieu of a song. (Bicknell.)
- Season:
- An abundant resident.
- Breeds:
- Through range.
- Nest:
- In tree hole, varying from low apple to high forest trees.
- Eggs:
- Similar to those of last species, but smaller.
- Range:
- Northern and eastern North America, from British Columbia and the eastern edge of the Plains northward and eastward.
The Downy Woodpecker, the persistent apple-tree borer, is a miniature reproduction of the Hairy Woodpecker, except that its tail is barred with black and white. This is the little bird that ornaments the fruit trees with symmetrical rows of holes, such as would be made by small shot. He does not, however, drain the vitality of the tree, as many suppose, by taking the sap, but merely bores for insects that lie between the bark and the tissue. In fact, the operation seems to be beneficial, perhaps acts as a system of ventilation, for I have seen some very fine old trees where the holes were so numerous as to form strange hiero-glyphies upon every limb. This Woodpecker is much more sociable than his big brother, and is present, about the orchards and gardens, the entire year. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Sphyrapicus varius.
- Male:
- Above black, white, and yellowish; below greenish yellow. Tail black, white on middle feathers, white edge to wing coverts. Crown, chin, and throat bright red. Bill about as long as head, more pointed and slender than in last species.
- Female:
- Throat and head whitish.
198
