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Red-headed Woodpecker
Adult--Entire head and throat crimson; back, tail, and primaries black; rump, tail coverts, and belly white. Length--9.75.
Breeding Range--From northern New York southward; rare in New England.
4 to 6 glossy white eggs are laid in a hole in either tree or stump, or even telegraph pole. Size--1.00 x .78.
These birds, in their bright tricolour of red, white, and black, are conspicuous wherever found; it is difficult to imagine a much more striking plumage; whether in the air, against the tree trunk, or in the foliage, one of their broad patches of colour is sure to be visible.
In some respects these woodpeckers almost resemble flycatchers; they sit on an isolated tree or stump, making short sallies after insects; these they catch with great dexterity in midair, invariably returning to the same place, which is sometimes within a few feet of their nest. The breeding holes, which are new each season, are often in large, live trees of almost any variety, but I think stumps and dead or partly dead trees are perhaps preferred; in some instances the eggs have been deposited in buildings.
The breeding season begins rather before the middle of May.