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Contents vii

10 Program Deployment (Capabilities Integration and Benefits

Appraisal) 235
10.1 Capabilities Integration 235
10.2 Benefits Appraisal 241
10.3 Transition to Next Cycle 247

11 Program Closure 253

11.1 Value Realization Assessment 254
11.2 Manage Program Completion 255
11.3 Lessons Learned Finalization 259
11.4 Closing the Loop and Preparing the Next Challenge 261

Conclusion263

References265
Index275
This page has been left blank intentionally
List of Figures

1.1 The program and its elements 18

1.2 The ambiguity-uncertainty context 21
1.3 Current program management context 23
2.1 Vertical and horizontal integration of strategies 35
2.2 Realizing business value 37
2.3 Traditional compartmentalized project organization 39
2.4 Value chain project organization 39
2.5 Agility in project organizations 44
3.1 Deliberate vs ad hoc programs 51
3.2 The program value chain 68
3.3 Maturity development process 76
4.1 The decision management cycle 84
4.2 The decision implementation process 87
4.3 Traditional control-based program governance structure 91
4.4 Integrated program governance structure 92
4.5 Integrated program governance structure 93
4.6 Tiered business case and governance process 95
4.7 Stakeholder engagement loop 97
4.8 Example of stakeholder map including contribution and
expectations 97
4.9 Main program stakeholders 98
4.10 Area of change covered by program management 107
4.11 Benefits map/benefits breakdown structure concept 113
5.1 Leadership skills vs role 126
6.1 The program life cycle 142
6.2 Taxonomy of program life cycle 144
7.1 Programme definition flowchart 146
7.2 Stakeholder mapping techniques 151
7.3 The value concept 152
7.4 Example of benefits breakdown structure (BBS) 157
7.5 Example of paired comparison 160
7.6a Example strategic roadmap 164
7.6b Example strategic roadmap 165
x Program Management

7.7 Evolution of value through life cycle 166

7.8 Assess alignment (contribution to CSFs) 170
7.9 Assess achievability (outline level) 170
7.10 Combined alignment/achievability assessment 172
7.11 Two options for use of alignment/achievability matrix 173
8.1 RACI matrix based on accountability for CSFs 181
8.2 Example of alignment scoring with weighted matrix 185
8.3 Example of project achievability assessment 186
8.4 Example of partial blueprint based on BBS 190
8.5 Pacing the change 193
8.6 Pacing for ultimate achievement of benefits 194
8.7 Program strategic roadmap 196
8.8 Program detailed cycle roadmap 197
8.9 Example of program level qualitative risk analysis 199
8.10 Program change decision loops 201
9.1 Program deployment stage flowchart 210
9.2 Resource loading plan 218
9.3 Risk responses and risk packages 221
9.4 Graphical representation of buffer penetration 223
10.1 Deployment Level Benefits Register 245
10.2 Typical responses to deviation 249
11.1 Program closure flowchart 253
List of Tables

1.1 Classification of programs and projects: Legend 23

2.1 Detailed comparison between projects, programs and portfolios 32
3.1 Comparison of project and program knowledge areas 59
3.2 Distinction between program and project 71
5.1 Main program stakeholders and their roles 118
5.2 Specific responsibilities of main program actors 120
6.1 Comparison between standardized life cycles 136
This page has been left blank intentionally
Preface

I was brought up in Canada where I started my professional life as an architect;

as such, I worked within a project environment from the beginning. Architects
traditionally represent their clients and are expected to act “in lieu” of the client
in their relationship with the authorities (planning department, construction
permit department, etc.) other professionals (engineers, urban planners,
landscape architects, interior designers, etc.) and contractors (suppliers,
building trades). So, as an architect, I have traditionally aimed to understand
the needs and expectations of my clients and translate them as best as I could to
achieve their dream home, corporate head office, marketable housing or office
development, historical building restoration or landmark city-regeneration.
Very early in my career, I realized that there was little integration between
the different players in the field and that mostly, the client’s needs were not
well understood, either because they were not able or willing to clarify them or
because those that were supposed to fulfil them did not make the effort to work
them out. After having worked in most areas of my profession, from urban
planning to architectural programming, design, specifications writing and site
supervising, I decided that it was time to integrate all this knowledge. So I
opened my own practice and started developing turnkey projects for my clients.
This meant that I needed to understand the clients’ needs and expectations
very well and be able to express them, not only in a drawing, but into and actual
building. It also meant that I needed to work in harmony with all the actors of
the project.
After a few years, I joined a larger firm that shared this philosophy and
became their Director of Development. That is when I started calling myself a
Project Manager. It was during that time that we developed some techniques
and methodologies that enabled us to be recognized for our expertise in fast-
track construction. Many of these techniques were concurrently developed in
IT/IS and are today known as “agile management”. As our expertise became
recognized, we got to work on large multi-phased construction projects and, by
still focusing on clients’ needs and expectations, started to develop a reputation
for pragmatic and effective long-term planning and development. Today, this
type of expertise would be called Program Management.
xiv Program Management

Since then, I have moved to the UK where I have worked as a trainer

and consultant in program management and related disciplines for the last
20 years of which 15 as the founder and managing partner of Valense Ltd.
an international network of consultants and trainers. As such, I have been
traveling extensively and worked with organizations in Asia Pacific, the Gulf
Region, North Africa, Turkey, Europe as well as North and South America.
I have endeavoured to bring this worldwide expertise of program
management at senior level into this book and hope it will appeal to a wide-
ranging audience.
Acknowledgements

This second edition of Program Management would not have been achievable
without the people who have trusted me to apply my expertise to their programs.
In the last 20 years, many of them have helped shape the methodology that
forms the backbone of this book. Let me acknowledge among these, Malcolm
Davis and Peter Czarnomski from Pfizer UK; Eric Miart from Eurocontrol,
Brussels; Rod Gozzard from NAB, Melbourne; Anna Massot from Bayer,
Germany; Sulaiman Mohammad Al Marzougi from Kuwait National Petroleum
and Bader Salman Alsalman and Saud Hamed Alsharari from ELM, Riyadh.
Following the publication of the first edition, I was privileged to be asked
by the Project Management Institute to be a contributor to the Third Edition
(2013) of their Standard for Program Management as well as being sought by the
Project Management Association of Japan to review the English version of the
Third Edition (2015) of P2M: A Guidebook of Program & Project Management
for Enterprise Innovation. This has enabled me to gain a broader perspective of
the discipline and of its evolution.
More specifically, I want to thank Alberto Brito from Brazil, Anne Boundford
from the UK, Mustafa Dülgerler from Abu Dhabi, Rick Heaslip from the US,
Bader Salman Alsalman from Saudi, Chris Stevens from Australia, who are all
extremely busy but took the time to read the final draft of this second edition
to provide their endorsement.
Finally, I would particularly like to recognise the contribution of Motoh
Shimitzu and Eric Norman. Motoh shared his thoughts in multiple face-to-
face and virtual discussions about the difference of program management
approaches in Japan and the Western world and enabled me to use some of
his ideas and concepts in this book. Eric and I have had numerous challenging
conversations on the purpose, philosophy and approach of program
management; he took the time to review the whole final draft and almost all
his comments made it into the final print.
This page has been left blank intentionally
 Reviews for
Program Management

Thiry’s revised landmark work embraces many important changes. He takes a broad and
in-depth view of multiple professional standards, explaining pragmatically the essence
of key focus areas, for executives, managers, and students alike, on how to lead, step-
by-step, successful program outcomes. This is essential reading for those moving from
narrow technical to broader leadership skills, critical to value-driven organisations under
pressure to deliver better strategies through program management.
Chris Stevens, Principal, Project Standards and Practice, NBN Co, Australia;
member of PMI’s Standards Members Advisory Group

Already a cornerstone in the library of important industry publications, the first edition of
Program Management by Dr Michel Thiry broke new ground in 2010 by providing a clearly
understandable and practical context for sifting through an assortment of conflicting
and sometimes competing views about the application of program management in
organizations. In many ways, the first edition was a catalyst for many of the advances
in program management practice we recognize and enjoy today. This second edition
reflects the deep understanding Dr Thiry has gained since the first publication through
careful observation, critical thinking, and the art and science of hard-won experience.
This latest update by one of the industry’s foremost thought leaders reveals an awareness
of the critically important role program management now plays in organizations large
and small for the delivery of key strategic benefits and real, measurable value in an
increasingly complex, fast-paced, unpredictable and continually evolving (shall we say
… “agile”) business environment. The second edition is destined to take its place as a
frequently referenced, often quoted, dog-eared and battle-worn guide for the serious
program manager. On my bookshelf, it stands next to its heavily marked-up and Post-
It-littered brother, the first edition. If the second edition of Program Management by Dr
Michel Thiry isn’t part of your library, it should be.
Eric S. Norman, practising program manager; Chair of PMI’s ‘The Standard for
Program Management Third Edition’ Core Committee

Programs are characterized by complexities, ambiguities and consequently significant

uncertainties. Each program management standard of North America, Europe and Japan
has a different approach to overcome such difficulties based on each business cultural
background. The author has made a thorough analysis of these diverse standards and
presents common and essential perspectives thanks to his long experience and deep
insights on the subject. The book gives a big picture of program management rather
than details of processes to provide a guiding principle for both researchers and expert
practitioners.
Motoh Shimizu, member, The Engineering Academy of Japan;
Nippon Institute of Technology, Japan

Michel’s book has created an important resource for researchers and practitioners in
the program management domain. It brings up a clear and rational alignment between
program components within an organizational context, which will help in executing
the strategies and realizing real value. Anyone involved in program management will
treasure this book!
Bader Alsalman, PMO Manager, ELM company, Saudi Arabia

Program Management provides new insights about the program manager’s critical role
in managing organizational decision making and change. Michel Thiry’s perspectives on
integrating the principles and practices of established program management standards
and guides provide a valuable contribution to the fields of both program and project
management. I found it to be full of valuable perspectives and contributions to the field,
and have very much enjoyed reading it.
Richard Heaslip, author of Managing Complex Projects and Programs;
Adviser to executives sponsoring complex programs

As a practitioner of programme management I live and breathe this world every day and
Michel does a great job at structuring and bringing programme management to life in
a constructive way. The book is very useful for me because it spans and links multiple
standards. I work with people who come from a PRINCE2 background and it can relate to
what they do. When in doubt or simply in need of inspiration this book provides you with
ideas on how to move forward. Overall, a great book.
Anne Boundford, PMP Programme Manager at Rolls Royce

We all know the decision making process; but most of us are not familiar with decision
management within the context of program management. This is one of the numerous
gaps in the practical application of program management that Michel has addressed in
his book, making it a must-read for program and project managers undertaking complex
initiatives.
Mustafa Dülgerler, Senior Enterprise Architect at National Bank of Abu Dhabi
This is a must read book! For strategy management scholars interested in the theme of
strategy execution, as it brings state-of-the-art discussion on the importance and use
of program management as a vehicle for implementing strategic changes; for senior
executives, as it provides the guidelines to establish the organization and governance
structure to achieve strategic goals; for program managers and program team members,
as it provides a roadmap to manage programs, through a concise program life cycle and
a set of management tools for each stage of the proposed life cycle. Finally, it is not a
book based on current standards, but a book that the review of program management
standards will be based on.
Alberto S. Brito, Founder and Managing Partner at CDA Tecnologia

Reviews of previous edition

Well organized with the ending of one chapter leading into the next. Very informative on
the subject matter, supported by references and tables …
Prize: ‘Award of Merit’ 2010, Canadian Project Management Book Awards,
run by the Project Management Association of Canada

I believe Program Management addresses a significant gap in program management

literature. Thiry ties many years of research and findings from Value Management
to Project Based Organization and relates it to Program Management. He explores
utilization of Program management in a multi-faceted approach, from organizational
aspects to benefit management, from program lifecycle to deployment of a strategy as a
program, from measurement to dissolution of the program.
Program Management provides an excellent bridge between PM theory and practical
ways to reach organizational goals using program management. This is truly brilliant!
Deniz A. Johnson, PMP, Vice President, Program Management,
Acadian Asset Management LLC, Boston

If you are interested in improving your delivery capability and effectiveness then Program
Management should be on your must read list. In my 15 years of project and program
management experience I have yet to find a book which has addressed the subject from
such a global perspective.
Chris Richards, PMP, Assistant Director Business Operations,
US-Based Technology Services Company
Program Management describes the practical considerations often overlooked when
translating ideas into real, value generating programs. The model marrying Programs to
Strategic Decision Management (Chapter 3) is alone worth the book.
Ron Sklaver, Enterprise Program Manager, Tate & Lyle, US-UK

Thiry provides an excellent example of his Benefit Breakdown Structure (BBS), showing
benefits at Level 1, followed by critical success factors, specific actions, and deliverables.
It is further detailed…with actions describing the current state and the proposed future
state, plus capabilities and dates required to achieve them. He presents an achievability
matrix for projects within the program and a discussion of risk packages. A program
manager could take the BBS plus these concepts and relate it to the program work
breakdown structure and have a powerful technique to apply.
Project Management Journal

I would recommend that program managers who want a simple and useful guide to get
hold of a copy of the book and keep it handy. Organizations should place a copy of the
book in their library along with books on strategy and strategy implementation. For
academics teaching a course in program management it would be a good as a textbook
or as a reference book from which relevant readings can be suggested to students.
Associate Professor Shankar Sankaran University of Technology,
Sydney for PPPM eJournal

I would recommend this book and have in fact used it at work to help clarify governance
issues and solutions with colleagues. Definitely a book to add to your library.
ProjectManager.com, Australia

This is an informative book full of useful illustrations providing visual interpretations

of the text … The book is well structured into three parts: the programme content, the
programme components and the programme lifecycle, with a very useful conclusions
section at the end. This structure made it easy to go forward and backwards without
losing the thread. Although aimed at larger organisations, this book will prove valuable
for any project of programme manager.
Quality World Magazine, September 2012

I consult and teach in this area and welcome this book as a very useful contribution on
the topic … It is certainly the best book I have read on the specific subject of Program
Management, and represents considerable research, reflections on experience and new
thinking on a current prominent subject.
Harold Ainsworth on Amazon.com
Introduction

Purpose of this Book

According to a number of recent surveys, executing strategies to realize value is

one of the failures of today’s management and optimizing the use of resources
to achieve this is even more of an issue. Programs, by definition, constitute
the missing link between the executive level strategy and the projects and
operations that will enable it to deliver value. Program management concerns
the harmonized management of a number of projects and other actions that
will generate competitive advantage. The purpose of this book is to make
executives, managers, students or academics understand the issues that arise
from the practice of Program Management and be able to, not only perform it,
but also implement it sustainably in their organizations.
Strategic managers often lack the time, specific expertise, technical skills
and/or means to make their strategies concrete to deliver the expected benefits.
Project managers lack the proficiency and/or capability to understand or
question strategic language and are often not aware of expected benefits.
Operational managers understand the benefits they need, but often find it
difficult to express them in strategic terms or understand the implications of
their implementation.
After more than 40 years of working for organizations of all sizes and
more than 20 years of worldwide management consultancy practice in a wide
range of industries, I have come to realize that many organizations still don’t
understand how to integrate their business practices. This is especially true
of the end-to-end process necessary to implement strategic decisions, realize
benefits and, ultimately, create value; especially in a turbulent environment
that requires constant realignment and agility. The program management
methodology described in this book will provide executives with the means to
achieve their objectives and increase their organization’s competitive edge, it
will provide sponsors with a clear method for defining outcomes and benefits
and mastering their delivery and finally users will have the assurance that their
needs will be fulfilled, as much as is possible within the stated parameters.
This book is meant to represent a wide view of program management
practice and not be tied to any particular standard. Although I favour techniques
2 Program Management

that I am familiar with, some of which I developed over years of practice, I will
aim to refer to a range of applicable techniques and methods at each stage of
the process.

Changes in the New Edition

In recent years, I have had multiple opportunities to implement program

management methodologies and coach program teams in large corporate
organizations worldwide and have from these experiences compiled data about
maturity and the implementation of program management in organizations.
In parallel, the Project Management Institute, the Office of Government
Commerce in the UK, and the Project Management Association of Japan have
published new standards. These facts have led me, in true program management
fashion, to make important changes in this new edition.
In Part I the main changes concern the discussion on the latest versions
of program management guides and standards, which are today much more
integrated. As the situation has evolved I have reviewed my vision of program
classification and added a new section on agile management in programs. I
have also added a measure of maturity based on a tool that I have developed in
recent years.
In Part II I have relabelled program components into program functions to
avoid confusion with the PMI term for component projects I have added a new
section on change management as this is more and more becoming an integral
part of the management of programs. My recent experience has also enabled
me to clarify further the roles and responsibilities of the different program
actors and, in particular, that of the business integrator.
The integration of program management in the organizations I have worked
with in the last five years have inspired me to write Part III of the book in a much
more hands-on fashion so that practitioners and sponsors alike will be able to
follow clear steps in the management of their programs. It has also allowed
me to consolidate my confidence that the methods I have been promoting for
the last 10–15 years are effective. Finally, the better harmonization of practice
and of program management guides and standards has led me to review the
program life cycle that I had proposed in the first edition to align better with
a more unified view of program management that has emerged in the last few
years.
Executive Summary

I have provided this executive summary for readers who are not practitioners
or students and who will want to focus their available time on the sections that
matter most to them. Each section outlines one part or chapter of the book and
highlights sections that are of particular interest for specific group of readers.

Part I: The Program Context

Part I aims to set the scene for program management and how it fits within the
greater organizational and business context. Chapter 1 explains the emergence
of program management and compares views from different professional
bodies. Chapter 2 compares and sets programs within the greater organizational
context, in particular other similar strategy delivery methods. Finally, Chapter
3 outlines what constitutes program maturity for an organization and how to
set up a program culture.

Chapter 1: Background and Definitions

Program Management has emerged as a distinct discipline in the late twentieth

century. As project management was applied to more and more complex
projects, it has progressively been aimed at the management of strategic
objectives or the management of multiple interrelated endeavours to produce
strategic benefits. It is now generally agreed that programs are a significant
undertaking consisting of multiple actions spanning multiple business areas
and that they are generally complex. Program management deals in both
high ambiguity and uncertainty and requires a high degree of organizational
maturity. There are currently three main program management guides, or
standards, published by distinct professional bodies in America, Europe and
Asia. Whereas past editions were more discordant, the last editions of the
standards are more harmonized than ever before. Today, Program Management
is universally perceived as a strategy execution method and a means to deliver
sustainable change.
4 Program Management

This chapter will interest both managers and practitioners since it defines
what a program is in relation to other similar methods and explains why
program management is ideally suited to realize strategic decisions.

Chapter 2: Organizational Context

There are boundaries, overlaps and differences between programs, projects,

portfolio, operations and strategy. In order to be competitive, a project
organization – one that conducts the majority of its activities as projects
and/or privileges project over functional approaches – will use programs to
link a number of business processes and create synergy between its different
components. Traditional organizational structures are well adapted to stable
well-defined environments; they are hierarchical and the portfolio is typically
divided into sub-portfolios, programs and projects. Recently promoted
organizational models are more adapted to today’s turbulent and fast-moving
environment. These organizational models are similar to a supply or value
chain and the program methodology is at the centre of the strategic decision
management process. In this type of organization, Program Management
could be labelled as:

The governance and harmonized management of a number of

projects and other actions to achieve targeted benefits and create
value for the program sponsors in the short-term, change recipients
in the medium-term and the organization in the long-term.

This chapter will particularly interest executives, strategists and program

sponsors as program management is used more and more to manage
organizational change. In particular they will be interested in the new section
on Program and Agile Management. As such, the program becomes a vehicle
for interaction between stakeholders to generate creative ideas and innovative
products that increase the organization’s competitiveness.

Chapter 3: Maturity and Culture

Traditionally most organizations undertake projects as part of their work.

Mostly these projects are treated as separate entities, independent from one
another. They are often generated within a business unit and managed with
Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
Color alone would make cardinals favored birds. Their striking
plumage is easily seen and long remembered. Though mild
mannered, they will sometimes chase each other from a feeding
station in early winter, but by late winter and spring they eat side by
side.

Preferring vines, shrubbery, and thickets, they will live comfortably in

city yards and parks. Since cardinals do not migrate, they will remain
in one yard the year round, as long as food is available. Often
nesting in bushes beside busy sidewalks, or near enough to homes
that their every move can be watched, they often have several
broods a year.

Their usual song is a clear and ringing whistle. While no two birds
seem identical in sound, their songs are distinctive, and once
learned, will always bring pleasure.

These fine birds are now found in most states, and range north as
far as southern Canada.

11
CATBIRD
(Dumetella carolinensis)
Length about 9 inches; the slaty gray plumage and black cap and tail
are distinctive. Breeds throughout the United States west to New
Mexico, Utah, Oregon, and Washington, and in southern Canada;
winters from the Gulf States to Panama.

In some localities the catbird is fairly common. Tangled growths are

its favorite nesting places and retreats, and ornamental shrubbery
around houses will attract and keep them inside a town. The bird
has a fine song, frequently broken by mewing like a cat. Its habits
are somewhat similar to those of its cousin, the mockingbird, with
song almost as varied, but it is more secretive and usually sings
while hidden in the bushes. It feeds on fruit and insects, and can be
lured to shelves and windows by raisins, cherries, or chopped
apples.

12
CEDAR WAXWING
(Bombycilla cedrorum)
Found in open or bushy woodlands or along the margins of
agricultural and residential areas, this sleek, crested brown bird is
between the size of a sparrow and a robin. The broad yellow band at
the tip of the tail is conspicuous and its voice is a high, thin lisp or
zeee. It is the only sleek brown bird with a long crest.

Breeding from Canada to north Georgia and west to Kansas, its

nests can be fairly common in suburban areas, and it winters in
irregular patterns throughout the United States.

13
CHIMNEY SWIFT
(Chaetura pelagica)
It’s hard to figure out how these birds ever existed without urban
areas, since they literally earn their first name by nesting and
roosting in chimneys, propping themselves against the inside surface
with short, spiny tails.

This swift is normally found only east of the great plains. Small birds
at about 5 inches long, they are aloft all day long, and almost always
in groups. They migrate in large flocks and nest from Canada to the
Gulf of Mexico. Watching a flock of swifts flow funnel-like into a
chimney is a startling evening experience. The birds express
themselves with a chatter of chipping cries, one of the easiest
identifications of the species. Their only food is insects, and they are
highly beneficial.

14
CHIPPING SPARROW
(Spizella passerina)
This slim bird is only about 5 inches long. You can spot it by a
chestnut brown crown, black line through the eye, and a black bill.
Chippies nest throughout the United States; they even breed as far
south as Nicaragua and as far north as southern Canada, and winter
in the southern United States and Mexico.

Chipping sparrows are domestic birds that show little fear of

humans. They often build nests in gardens, cemeteries or golf
courses, where mowed lawns provide feeding areas. Among the
most insectivorous of all sparrows, their diet consists mainly of
insects, supplemented by weed seeds.

Adjectives are dangerous in describing wildlife, but chippies are just

plain lovable.

15
COWBIRD
(Molothrus ater)
Cowbirds are the only native American birds to always lay their eggs
in nests of other species, and have the young raised by foster
parents. Warblers, finches, and sparrows, all smaller than cowbirds,
are the chief victims of this practice, the fast growing foster chick
monopolizing food and space to the detriment of the legitimate
offspring.

This is the smallest blackbird, flocking in small groups, or mixing

with grackles and red-wings. They are usually quiet, their only song
a faint whistle. They range north into Canada and winter in the
southeastern States. Grasshoppers, beetles, and a number of insects
are eaten, and like other blackbirds, they do some damage to grain.

16
CROW
(Corvus sp.)
Smart enough to adapt quickly to urban life, crows nest in such
unlikely places as alongside the Pentagon, and feed in the White
House grounds in Washington.

Typically, they feed in the early hours before many people are out,
retreating to parks or fields when disturbed. Their nest-robbing, crop
destroying habits are often exaggerated, and less attention paid to
their diet of grubs, beetles, mice, and other pests.

Grackles, martins, flycatchers, and other smaller birds, recognizing

them as marauders, will chase crows in the spring and summer.
Watching the little feathered dive-bombers attack the lumbering
crow is quite a show, the larger bird always retreating as best he
can, sometimes losing a few feathers, but seldom his dignity.

17
DOWNY WOODPECKER
(Dendrocopos pubescens)
Our smallest woodpecker at 6 inches; spotted with black and white.
Dark bars on the outer tail feathers distinguish it from the similar but
larger hairy woodpecker. Resident in the United States and the
forested parts of Canada and Alaska.

This woodpecker is widely distributed, living in woodlands, orchards

and gardens. Like the hairy woodpecker, it beats a tattoo on a dry
resonant tree branch. To appreciative ears it has the quality of forest
music. In a hole excavated in a dead branch the downy woodpecker
lays four to six eggs. This and the hairy woodpecker are valuable
human allies, their food consisting of some of the worst insect foes
of orchard and shade trees. Beef suet, fastened too high for dogs to
pirate, will attract Downies to a feeding station.

18
FLICKER
(Colaptes auratus)
Length 13 inches; the yellow (salmon in western birds) under
surfaces of the wing and tail, and white rump are characteristic. It
breeds throughout the United States and in forested parts of
Canada; winters in most of the southern United States.

The flicker inhabits open country and delights in parklike regions

where trees are numerous but well-spaced. It is possible to insure
the presence of this useful bird about the home and to increase its
numbers. It nests in any large cavity in a tree and readily
appropriates an artificial nesting box. The most terrestrial of our
woodpeckers, it procures much of its food from the ground. The
largest item of animal food is ants, of which it eats more than any
other common bird. The flicker is more adapted to suburbs than to
the larger cities.

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GOLDFINCH
(Spinus sp.)
The male is the only small, yellow bird with black wings and tail,
with flight that is extremely undulating. In winter the species
concentrate in areas where seed-laden plants are common.

They breed from Canada to Mexico and winter in the same range,
nesting in July and August, after most birds have finished. The song
is long-sustained, clear, light, and canary-like. In its flight, each dip is
often punctuated by a simple cry of ti-dee-di-di.
Goldfinches are found along hedgerows, wood margins, brushy
fields, and flower gardens, especially where cosmos are growing.

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GRACKLE
(Quiscalus quiscula)
Length 12 inches. It breeds throughout the United States west to
Texas, Colorado, and Montana and in southern Canada and winters
in the southern half of its breeding range.

This is a beautiful blackbird that is well known from its habit of

congregating in city parks and nesting there year after year. Like
other species which habitually assemble in large flocks, it is capable
of inflicting damage on farm crops. It shares with crows and blue
jays a habit of pillaging the nests of small birds, but it does much
good by destroying garden pests, especially white grubs, weevils,
grasshoppers, and caterpillars.

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GREEN HERON
(Butorides virescens)
A small, dark heron common to all water areas, breeding in a
combination of wooded or brush habitats and marshes. It is also
found along the wooded margins of lakes and ponds. It often shows
more blue than green and is easily confused with the little blue
heron. Its flight appears crowlike at a distance, moving with slow,
arched wing beats.

The most generously distributed of small herons, its series of “kucks”

or its loud skyow can often be heard in areas near urban
settlements.
It breeds from the Gulf of Mexico north to southern Canada and
winters from Florida south.

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