Argentine Ornithology, Volume 2 (of 2): A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic.Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)
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Argentine Ornithology, Volume 2 (of 2): A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic.
Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)
Birds -- Argentina
"The pair which frequented the garden excavated a hole in a
paradise-tree, and bred there for two consecutive years. The tree
stood near one of the walks, and on any one passing the sitting bird
immediately showed its head at the aperture, like a jack-in-the-box, and
then flew away. Last year this pair actually bred in one of the posts of
the horse-corral, notwithstanding the noise and bustle incident to such
a locality. While waiting there, at sunrise, for the herd of horses
to be shut in I used often to knock at the post, in order to make the
Woodpecker leave its nest, but the bird seemed indifferent to such a
mild attack, and would even sit still while a hundred horses and mares
rushed about the corral or hurled themselves against the sides of it.
In another case I had worked with hammer and chisel for half-an-hour,
cutting a hole on a level with the bottom of a nest, when the female
first demonstrated her presence by flying out almost into my face. This
last nest contained four (considerably incubated) eggs, which I took.
Happening to pass the spot a fortnight after, I inspected the hole and
was surprised to find that it had been deepened and other five eggs
laid, while the entrance I had cut was the one now used by the birds.
The nest was again resorted to the following year and a brood hatched
out, but since then a pair of Wrens have occupied the place to the
exclusion of the rightful owners."
The eggs are white, four or five in number, pear-shaped, and with
polished shells.
White obtained specimens of this Woodpecker in Catamarca, and Mr.
Barrows found it resident in Entrerios. The latter tells us it is
"abundant in the woods everywhere, and conspicuous for its activity,
bright colours, and large size."
258. LEUCONERPES CANDIDUS (Otto).
(WHITE-BELLIED WOODPECKER.)
+Leuconerpes candidus+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 445 (Paraná,
Cordova); _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 100; _Salvin, Ibis_, 1880,
p. 361 (Salta); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 618 (Misiones);
_Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 25 (Entrerios).
_Description._--Above white; wings and upper back, with a line on
each side running up to the eye, black; nape tinged with yellow:
beneath white; tail black, with white cross bands: whole length 11·0
inches, wing 5·5, tail 4·5. _Female_ similar, but without the yellow
on the nape.
_Hab._ S. Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina.
Prof. Burmeister met with this peculiarly coloured Woodpecker near
Paraná, and Mr. Barrows found it resident in Entrerios, though not very
abundant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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