shamus@bcsaic.UUCP (Steven McBride) (12/18/87)
(I'm tired of seeing subscribers to this group argue on what should and should not be posted. Since I've been a subscriber there hasn't been enough material to worry about what's posted. I suggest that the people who don't want to see articles on parrots just set up kill files (for 'rn') to kill those articles (conversely the parrot people can kill all articles not dealing with parrots). Enough!) We have a couple of feeders hanging in an almost dead maple tree (10') in the back yard. This winter we've had a pair of hairy woodpeckers coming to feed. Their behavior has been quite interesting. Rather than breaking the small black sunflower seeds directly (like the jays, etc.), the woodpeckers drill a hole in the maple, fly to the feeder and retrieve a seed, fly back and insert the seed in the hole, then use their beak to break the seed open and consume the insides. Since they use the same hole over and over again for breaking seeds, they are not storing the seeds for later use. It's been a lot of fun watching them. -- Opinions expressed are strictly my own: Shamus Mc Bride uucp: uw-beaver!uw-june!bcsaic!shamus (206) 865-3401 internet: shamus@boeing.com
mclark@suntri.UUCP (Michael Clark ) (12/29/87)
Speaking of Hairy woodpeckers, has anyone found a reliable method of telling a Hairy from a Downy, without having one of each present? Thanks, Michael Clark Sun Microsystems Cary, NC
gp@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190) (12/29/87)
In article <126@suntri.UUCP>, mclark@suntri.UUCP (Michael Clark ) writes: > > Speaking of Hairy woodpeckers, has anyone found a reliable method of > telling a Hairy from a Downy, without having one of each present? The most reliable way to differentiate the two is by the size of the bird, and the relative bill size. I realize that size can be a subjective thing, depending on conditions, the view of the bird, etc. But the relative bill size is nearly always reliable. The downy has a tiny little pin-bill, whereas the hairy has a large spike. In addition, although it is hard to see, the hairy's two (three?) outer tail feathers are pure white, where the downy has a couple of black spots on the same feathers. Hope this helps. Greg Pasquariello
duhon@ihlpf.ATT.COM (Duhon) (12/29/87)
> Speaking of Hairy woodpeckers, has anyone found a reliable method of > telling a Hairy from a Downy, without having one of each present? Petersen's lists a few things, but I find that there are 2 easy things: 1) size. the downy is a bit larger than a chickadee/rosebreasted nuthatch/ junco. the hairy is quite a bit larger, more like a cardinal/robin. 2) bill size in relation to head. the downy bill is almost petite (for a woodpecker) but the hairy is heavier and longer. about as long as the head is wide. joey ihnp4!ihlpf!duhon