BIRD WONOGRAPHS: by Donald Wilkinson 
     
    
   
   
    
     HORTEBRN FLICKER (Colaptes auratus) 
     
    
   
   
    
     Order: PICIFORMES Species: 27-07-143 
     
    

    
     Family: PICIDAE - Woodpeckers 
     
    

    
     DistributionzThree races breed through most of North America, except the Arctic 
     
     tundra, south to Mexico. Northern population migrates south-east to 
     
     Florida and Caribbean in fall. 
     
    

    
     Nest: This is a cavity excavator which chips holes 7.5 cm (3") in diameter with 
     
     a shaft depth of 30 - 60 cm (12'- 24') deep in trees. It also uses fence 
     
     posts, building roofs, and nest boxes. 
     
    

    
     Habitats: Uses open wooded country, cutovers, fields, and deserts. 
     
    

    
     Eggs: 5 to 10; glossy white. 
     
    

    
     Diet: Feeds largely on ants as well as other ground insects. Fruit and berries 
     
     are used by both young and adults from mid summer to autumn. 
     
    

    
     Song: A piercing "kee-ar". Also "flicka-flickn-flicka' and a long, prolonged 
     
     series : "wick wick wick wick wick wick" 
     
    

    
     Size: 32 to 36 cm (12.5 to 14 inches). 
     
    

    
     Note: The American Ornithological Union 
     
    
   
   
    
     reviewed the evidence for species 
     
     designation of this species in 1995. 
     
     It accepted the following colour 
     
     races or subspecies: the Yellow- 
     
     shafted Flicker (C. a. auratus) 
     
     found east of the Rockies and the 
     
     Red-shafted Flicker (C. a. cafer) 
     
     found west of the Rockies and into 
     
     the Central Plains. At the same 
     
     time, the Gilded Flicker (C. 
     
     chrysoides), formerly considered 
     
     part of this group, was split from 
     
    
   
   
    
              
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     ml. '0 TO Yo, 
     
     I!" 3‘ DUST 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     it. This latter species is found 3 & 
     
     o 0 
     
     among the saguaro cactus in the 2 “CK 3,05 5,95 "ONTO an“, “er 
     
     Californian desert. _ 'k 
     
     v 32' u 24' v 24' v 24' u v 
     
     A 4 r A A f z I 
     
     ‘. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ISLAND TREES by J. Dan McAskill 
     
    
   
   
    
     Red Spruce (Picea rubens) Height: up to 35m 
     
    

    
     Wildlife Benefits: provides food and cover; provides seeds/cones in early fall; 
     
     provides foraging habitat for foliage gleaners (e.g. chickadees, evening 
     
     grosbeaks) and bark gleaners (e.g. chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, 
     
     creepers). 
     
    

    
     Seasonal Considerations: provides cover year-round; produces seed in mid-autumn to 
     
     late autumn; cones stay intact and disperse seed as they dry; is quite 
     
     susceptible to frost damage; has high shade tolerance; excellent riparian zone 
     
     species where frost is not a problem; tends to have a narrow, columnar form; 
     
     foliage yellow red. 
     
    

    
     Comments: Native to the Island; will produce an understory in moderate shade; do not 
     
     plant in coastal exposure sites; this is one of the characteristic trees of the 
     
     Acadian forest; susceptible to air pollution, frost, and spruce budworm damage; 
     
     good seed crops every 3 to 8 years after 30 years of age; hybridizes with black 
     
     spruce. There is now some debate between geneticists over the degree of 
     
     separation between this species and the black spruce. Work is underway on 
     
     genetic finger printing specimens from the extremes of the ranges where only 
     
     one or the other species is present.