Painted

1912

Published

1931

Volume

7

Plate

406

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Redhead Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

DESCRIPTION

The REDHEADED WOODPECKER is one of the first birds I learned to identify and, odd as it may seem, it is not the easy task it would be under normal conditions. I was about ten years old when I saw a bird with a carmine head, white below, and with black wings, sweeping out from a treetop, catching insects on the wing, returning from each foray to the same perch. A Flycatcher of course but an exhaustive study of Wilson's and Nuttall's Ornithologies (the only two bird books I possessed at the time), revealed no red-headed flycatcher. The next sight of the bird, this time on a tree trunk, cleared the puzzling situation.

In the long interval I have watched and admired the easy assurance, playfulness, and d'Artagnan air of this rollicking blade, wearing so jauntily the colors of his country. He, like many others of our bright-colored birds, has had to struggle against not only natural forces of destruction but the more deadly one of the slow-dying unjust prejudices clustered around the banner of "SHOOT HIM DOWN."

Next time the opportunity offers, listen to one of the Redhead's family conferences, when the brown youngsters are old enough to participate. The arguments, loud calls, uncensored remarks, and unwoodpecker-like notes would shame a Democratic convention. The hearer might even imagine Dawes was addressing the Senate! Watch a pair harry a red squirrel who perhaps had broken into their cache of beechnuts. The opening attack is delivered in apparent anger but as the melée progresses, gradually changes into its real character of pure teasing. The birds generally come out top-dog, driving the would-be thief into hiding and altho my sympathies usually are with the under canine, in this case the flaunting flag of victory waved about the miscreant wins my unqualified approval. I have seen a pair isolate one of the rufous-coated imps on top of a fence-post and bedevil him so persistently that he fairly frothed at the mouth, thereby releasing some of the beechnuts stowed in his pouch. These, one of the aggressors carried off and hid, the other meanwhile continuing the attack until the freebooter gave up the rest of the loot.

Most of the genus possess a limited vocabulary but the Redhead voices an astounding array of chirps, cheeps, and rough notes including a wickup-wickup-wickup-wickup, shorter but resembling the Flicker's rolling call. Like his relative, the Anteating Woodpecker of the West, who digs holes in an old stump and fills them with acorns, sometimes traveling miles to obtain the oak-seed — the Redhead stuffs surplus food away in crannies. He lacks the instinct to chisel holes for these stores, always stowing them in some natural cavity, but the tendency toward forehandedness is there. I have frequently found large black beetles with all legs carefully removed, under crannies of bark; probably secreted at a time when the guardian angel of coleoptera may have been wandering off in the woods elsewhere, watching the nymphs and fauns at play. The utter indifference of the stronger form of life toward the suffering and torture of the weaker is not conducive to a belief that the Monitor of all cares very much whether or not they suffer.

Partiality for dust baths has fatal consequence. Hundreds are killed every year by automobiles, especially in the middle western states.

BREEDING

RANGE

Central and eastern United States and British provinces. West to Wyoming, Colorado and Texas. Rare and local east of the Hudson river.

Sugar Maple

Acer saccharum

DESCRIPTION

A 70–120-foot tree distributed in eastern United States.

redhead-woodpecker
pileated-woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
405
northern-pileated-woodpecker
Northern Pileated Woodpecker
405a
redhead-woodpecker
Redhead Woodpecker
406
anteating-woodpecker
Anteating Woodpecker
407
california-woodpecker-narrowfront-woodpecker
California Woodpecker, Narrowfront Woodpecker
407a-407b
lewis-woodpecker
Lewis Woodpecker
408
redbelly-woodpecker
Redbelly Woodpecker
409
goldenfront-woodpecker
Goldenfront Woodpecker
410
gila-woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
411
flicker
Flicker
412
redshaft-flicker-northwestern-flicker
Redshaft Flicker, Northwestern Flicker
413-413a
gilded-flicker
Gilded Flicker
414
guadalupe-flicker
Guadalupe Flicker
415
chuckwill-widow
Chuckwill Widow
416
whippoorwill
Whippoorwill
417
stephen-whippoorwill
Stephen Whippoorwill
417a
poorwill-frosted-poorwill-dusky-poowill
Poorwill, Frosted Poorwill, Dusky Poorwill
418-418a-418b
merrill-parauque
Merrill Parauque
419
nighthawk
Nighthawk
420
western-nighthawk-florida-nighthawk
Western Nighthawk, Florida Nighthawk
420a-420b
sennett-nighthawk-pacific-nighthawk
Sennett Nighthawk, Pacific Nighthawk
420c-420d
texas-nighthawk
Texas Nighthawk
421
black-swift
Black Swift
422
chimney-swift
Chimney Swift
423
vaux-swift
Vaux Swift
424
whitethroat-swift
Whitethroat Swift
425
rivoli-hummingbird
Rivoli Hummingbird
426
bluethroat-hummingbird
Bluethroat Hummingbird
427
rubythroat-hummingbird
Rubythroat Hummingbird
428
blackchin-hummingbird
Blackchin Hummingbird
429
costa-hummingbird
Costa Hummingbird
430
anna-hummingbird
Anna Hummingbird
431
floresi-hummingbird
Floresi Hummingbird
431.1
broadtail-hummingbird
Broadtail Hummingbird
432
rufous-hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
433
allen-hummingbird
Allen Hummingbird
434
morcom-hummingbird
Morcom Hummingbird
435
calliope-hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
436
lucifer-hummingbird
Lucifer Hummingbird
437
rieffer-hummingbird
Rieffer Hummingbird
438
buffbelly-hummingbird
Buffbelly Hummingbird
439
xantus-hummingbird
Xantus Hummingbird
440
white-ear-hummingbird
White-Ear Hummingbird
440.1
broadbill-hummingbird
Broadbill Hummingbird
441
scissortail-flycatcher
Scissortail Flycatcher
443
kingbird
Kingbird
444
gray-kingbird
Gray Kingbird
445
couch-kingbird
Couch Kingbird
446
arkansas-kingbird
Arkansas Kingbird
447
cassin-kingbird
Cassin Kingbird
448
derby-flycatcher
Derby Flycatcher
449
sulphurbelly-flycatcher
Sulphurbelly Flycatcher
451
crested-flycatcher
Crested Flycatcher
452
arizona-crested-flycatcher-mexican-crested-flycatcher
Arizona Crested Flycatcher, Mexican Crested Flycatcher
453-453a
ashthroat-flycatcher-lower-california-flycatcher
Ashthroat Flycatcher, Lower California Flycatcher
454-454b
olivaceous-flycatcher
Olivaceous Flycatcher
455a
phoebe
Phoebe
456
say-phoebe
Say Phoebe
457
black-phoebe
Black Phoebe
458
oliveside-flycatcher
Oliveside Flycatcher
459
coues-flycatcher
Coues Flycatcher
460
wood-pewee
Wood Pewee
461
western-wood-pewee-largebill-wood-pewee
Western Wood Pewee, Largebill Wood Pewee
462-462a
yellow-flycatcher
Yellowbelly Flycatcher
463
western-flycatcher-san-lucas-flycatcher
Western Flycatcher, San Lucas Flycatcher
464-464a
acadian-flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
465
traill-flycatcher-alder-flycatcher
Traill Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher
466-466a
least-flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
467
hammond-flycatcher
Hammond Flycatcher
468
wright-flycatcher
Wright Flycatcher
469
gray-flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher
469.1
buffbreast-flycatcher
Buffbreast Flycatcher
470
vermilion-flycatcher
Vermilion Flycatcher
471
beardless-flycatcher
Beardless Flycatcher
472

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