Outlines for Scout Workers

Outlines for Scout Workers

BY DELBERT W. PARRATT, B. S.

VIII THE RED-SHAFTED FLICKER

"A woodpecker is hard at work—

A carpenter is he—And you may hear him hammering

His nest high up a tree."

1. Why is this bird called a flicker? Why is it called a red-shaftedflicker?

2. It is one of our woodpeckers. Why called a woodpecker?Name three other western woodpeckers. In what way does the flicker

differ from these?

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3. Note size and color of red-shafted flicker. Contrast the maleand female in these two points and tell why the difference.

4. On what does the flicker subsist? and explain how he is suitedto procure his food.

5. Tell how and where this bird makes its nest. What advantageis there in such locations?

6. Tell of the number, size, and color of eggs and also of thenumber of settings per season.

7. In what position is the bird's body while she is sitting on hereggs? Why this position?

8. Tell of this bird's song.

9. Where do the flickers spend their winters? Is this an advan-tage or a disadvantage to us? Why?

10. The flicker is sometimes referred to as the tree doctor. Why?

HANDY MATERIAL"how the woodpecker knows"

"How does he know where to dig his hole,The woodpecker there, on the elm tree pole?How does he know what kind of a limbTo use for a drum or to burrow in?How does he find where the young grubs grow—

I'd like to know?

" T see,' said the boy, 'just a rap or two,Then listen as any bright boy might do—You can tell ripe melons and garden stuff,In the very same way—

It's easy enough.' "

The word flick means to move with a quick jerk. The wordflicker comes from Hick and consequently carries with it thethought of fluttering or a brief, sudden decrease and increase inmotion. A bird flutters, a light or sound flickers. It is becausethe bird under consideration produces such a sound while attempt-ing to sing that he is called a flicker. And since some of the shaftfeathers of his wings are red, he has become commonly known asthe red-shafted flicker in contrast with so many other flickers hav-ing no bright colors except yellow on their wings. This charac-teristic red is most plainly seen when the wings are spread whileMr. Flicker is in flight. Often and properly he is called theWestern flicker on account of inhabiting our western country.

In addition to this beautiful fellow, our mountain region caresfor a number of other woodpeckers, chief among which are theDowney, Hairy, and Lewis. The Downy and Hairy are so namedfrom the suggestive texture of their feathery coatings, while the'last mentioned carries the name of that dauntless western ex-plorer, Captain Lewis, of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition.

Of all our woodpeckers, the red-shafted is the largest andmost attractive. Ordinarily he measures from twelve and one-half to fourteen inches in length and has a wing expanse of aboutone-half that much. Both male and female show the red on their

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wings, and besides this both have patches of like color on theunder side of their tails and also above their bills. By these redmarkings, together with a characteristic black crescent on thebreast and white patch on the rump, these birds are readily distin-guished from all others of the feathered family.

The male, being the defender of and protector to his mateand their little ones, is naturally somewhat larger and strongerthan the female. And since it is customary in bird society for themales to "be on dress parade" while the female selects her com-panion, it naturally follows the competing "he birds" are put tothe necessity of coming out and showing off in their very best andfinest feathers. In consequence of this the males have acquiredcolors more pleasing and attractive than are those of the less con-cerned female. Such contrasts, of course, are most pronouncedduring the busy mating season.

The flicker has four long, stout toes on each foot, two point-ing forward and two backward. With these he securely clingsto the tree while drilling with his long, sharp bill. His stiff tailfeathers are used to brace himself, and his flat breast bone enableshim to rest close to the tree while he is thus engaged boring forfood or cutting for a nest.

Only about two per cent of this bird's food is of what wecall useful grain and fruit, the remainder is of ants, wood-borers,beetle larvae, weed seeds, and the like. It is not at all uncommonin winter time to see him busily eating Virginia creeper berriesfrom vines clinging to some friendly house, but more often, in thesummer, we' see him mercilessly tearing up ant beds and devouringthe excited insects by the hundreds. In fact, it is estimated thatmore than half of the flicker's insect diet is of these little, trouble-some creatures.

When in search of food among the trees, the woodpeckerhabitually alights near the bottom of the tree and then worksspirally upward, tapping, listening, and drilling as he goes. It isseldom, if ever, that he attempts to work his way downward. Incase a borer is located, the "carpenter" begins to make "chips fly"and in short time seizes his prey. His long, barbed-covered tongueis thrust into the borer and there is no escape. In addition tohaving reversed barbs, the tongue is provided with a sticky,glutinous secretion, from the sides of the bird's mouth, whichpi oves a deadly poison and instant paralyzer to many grubs, borers,insects, and the like with which it comes in contact.

Usually our Western flickers build their nests in dead treestumps, in clay or sand banks, in houses, and especially in deadcottonwood trees. The nest is lined with wood dust and is ordi-narily provided with from five to ten pure white almost opalescenteggs. Most birds, while nesting, rest in a horizontal position, but,strange to say, this is not true with the flicker. In her case, she

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almost invariably spends the period in a peculiar vertical position,this being necessitated by the deep, narrow hole containing thesecluded nest.

Many birds will desert their nests if disturbed or if the eggsare removed, but such is not the case with our flickers. Afteronce preparing a nest, they are very loath to leave until it has"fulfilled the measure of its creation." However, the nest israrely if ever occupied by the flickers the second season, but,nevertheless, sparrow-hawks, screech owls, and blue-birds oftenmake appropriate use of these abandoned holes.

The familiar, "If, if, if, if" of the red-shafted flicker is heardthroughout the Rocky Mountain region from British Columbia tonorthern Mexico. This bird is not a migrator, but remains inits chosen locality throughout the year and ever,, at all seasons, isready to clean our trees of pestiferous beetles, insects, and otherdestroyers.

Prof. Paul fittingly says: "Dr. Woodpecker has committedto him the duty of specializing on those insects that injure thetree internally, and hence require a surgical operation to removethem. The woodpecker does this for his own advantage, to besure, to procure food for himself and his hungry nestlings; butso helpful are his services to man that out of nearly 800 birds ofAmerica the woodpecker stands out as our most useful birdcitizen."

All That You Dream

Boys, stay at home, give all your bestTo the redemption of the West;What has the world to give to youFor her green fields and skies of blue?"Wealth," you exclaim. For honest toil,There's millions in her virgin soil,Out here fair fortune's ample sunComes smiling down on everyone.Or you would seek a mate, perchance,With sunshine in her countenance,In whose pure eyes your dream doth liveWith all that beauty has to give?Well, you may find her, if you roam,But you can't miss her here at home.Or is it virtue, honor, peace?Her people stand for all of these.All that you dream, here may be wonRight underneath the setting sun.

Theo. E. Curtis, in "Sunbeams of Truth.