Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
1979 Ronald L. Mumme
3
Melanerpes formicivorus
Westgate Hastings Reservation
2 August watched roosting again here tonight, seeing three birds
roost in the same hole as 26 June. One of the
birds was almost certainly ♂58, the legless wonder, as
one of the birds had obvious difficulties getting into the
roost hole. It was fairly obvious that that bird was
operating without a left leg.
26 August Roosting again, one bird already in the hole when I arrived,
but two other flew in later, the last one in operating without
a left leg. However, after some scuffling in the hole, the
legless bird came out, then tried 5 times or so to struggle back
to the hole, unsuccessfully. He then flew off and did not return
28 Oct Stat watch 0830. Three birds here, one ♂, one ♀, and
a third bird (sex?). The ♂ I saw was almost certainly
⏐58. He was sitting crosswise on a branch, as if his left
leg was missing, couldn't see the bands on the right
leg. 0850, In gate syromony, a ♀ which I read as
D Blue-yellow/D blue-yellow (!!?) It may not have even
been banded