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Part 92

A Synopsis of the Birds of North America · John James Audubon — chapter 92 of 168 · ~689 words · public domain

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Columbia River. Rare.

Harris's Woodpecker, Picus Harrisii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 191.

264. 9. Picus villosus, Linn. Hairy Woodpecker.

Plate CCCCXVI. Fig. 1. Male. Fig. 2. Female.

Bill as long as the head; fourth toe considerably longer than third; fourth and fifth quills longest and equal; bristly feathers over the nostrils dull yellow, tipped with black; upper part of head and hind neck glossy black; over the eye a band of white, continuous with a transverse band of scarlet on the occiput, usually divided in the middle; a black band from the bill to the eye, continued behind it over the auriculars, and joining the black of the hind neck; beneath this, a band of white from the angle of the mouth, curving backwards below the middle of the neck, so as to meet its fellow behind; then a black band from the base of the lower mandible; upper parts black, tinged with brown behind; feathers along the middle of the back, tipped with white; wing-coverts, the anterior excepted, and quills spotted with white, there being on the four longest primaries seven on the outer and five on the inner web, on most of the secondaries five on each web, but on the outer quill only one patch on each web, and on the second, two spots on the outer and three on the inner; four middle tail-feathers glossy black, the rest black only towards the base; lower parts white, tinged with dull green on the fore neck and breast, the sides with blackish-grey. Female without red on the head.

Male, 8-3/4, 14-1/2. Female, 8-1/2, 15.

Breeds from Texas to New Hampshire, Kentucky, and Valley of the Mississippi. Common. Resident.

Hairy Woodpecker, Picus villosus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 150.

Picus villosus, Bonap. Syn. p. 46.

Hairy Woodpecker, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 575.

Hairy Woodpecker, Picus villosus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 164.

265. 10. Picus pubescens, Linn. Downy Woodpecker.

Plate CXII. Male and Female.

Bill much shorter than the head, slender; fourth toe considerably longer than third; fourth quill longest; upper bristles over the nostrils yellowish, tipped with black; upper part of the head glossy black; a band of white over the eye ending in a scarlet occipital band; then a band of black from the eye to the hind neck, succeeded by one of white from the angle of the mouth, curving so as nearly to meet its fellow on the hind neck, and a black band from the lower mandible down the side of the neck. Upper parts black; feathers along the middle of the back tipped with white; coverts and quills spotted with white, there being six spots on the outer, and five on the inner webs of the four longest primaries, the outermost quill with one patch of white on the inner web, and the next with four spots on each web; outer small tail-feathers white, with a single black spot, next two white, with two terminal black bands, the rest variegated, except the two middle, which are black. Female without red.

Male, 6-3/4, 12.

Breeds from Texas to Labrador, and northward to Lat. 58°. Common throughout the interior to the eastern bases of the Rocky Mountains. In every district, a constant resident.

Downy Woodpecker, Picus pubescens, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 153.

Picus pubescens, Bonap. Syn. p. 46.

Picus (Dendrocopus) pubescens, Downy Woodpecker, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 307.

Downy Woodpecker, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 576.

Downy Woodpecker, Picus pubescens, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 81; v. v. p. 539.

266. 11. Picus Gairdnerii, Aud. Gairdner's Woodpecker.

Not figured.

Bill shorter than the head, slender; fourth toe considerably longer than third, fifth quill longest; black above, with a scarlet occipital band, brownish-white beneath; spotted with white, and in all respects as to colour like the last species, only the spots on the wings are much smaller, and the patch of red brocade; the toes and bill larger.

Length, 6-8/12; wing, 3-10/12.

Columbia River.

Gairdner's Woodpecker, Picus Gairdnerii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 317.

267. 12. Picus querulus, Wils. Red-cockaded Woodpecker.

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