A little Woodpecker am I,
And you may always know
When I am searching for a worm,
For tap, tap, tap, I go.
Oh yes, I am proud of my appearance, but really I am not proud of my
name. Sometimes I am called the "Zebra Bird," on account of the bands of
white and black on my back and wings. That is a much prettier name, I
think, than the Red-bellied Woodpecker, don't you? Certainly it is more
genteel.
I know a bird that is called the Red-eyed Vireo, because his eyes are
red. Well, my eyes are red, too. Then why not call me the Red-eyed
Woodpecker? Still the Woodpeckers are such a common family I don't much
care about that either.
In the last February number of BIRDS that saucy red-headed cousin of
mine had his picture and a letter. Before very long the Red-cockaded
Woodpecker will have his picture taken too, I suppose.
Dear, dear! If all the Woodpeckers are going to write to you, you will
have a merry time. Why, I can count twenty-four different species of
that family and I have only four fingers, or toes, to count on, and you
little folks have five. There may be more of them, Woodpeckers I mean,
for all I know.
Speaking about toes! I have two in front and two behind. There are some
Woodpeckers that have only three, two in front and one behind. It's a
fact, I assure you. I thought I would tell you about it before one of
the three toed fellows got a chance to write to you about it himself.
I am not so shy and wary a bird as some people think I am. When I want
an insect, or worm, I don't care how many eyes are watching me, but
up the tree I climb in my zigzag fashion, crying _chaw-chaw_, or
_chow-chow_ in a noisy sort of way. Sometimes I say _chuck, chuck,
chuck_! The first is Chinese, and the last English, you know. You might
think it sounded like the bark of a small dog, though.
I am fond of flies and catch them on the wing. I like ripe apples, too;
and oh, what a _good_ time I have in winter raiding the farmer's corn
crib! I have only to hammer at the logs with my sharp bill, and soon I
can squeeze myself in between them and eat my fill. I understand the
farmer doesn't like it very much.
[Illustration: From col. Chi. Acad. Sciences.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER.
Copyright by
Nature Study Pub. Co., 1898, Chicago.]