1 / 4
Male
Mesa, Az

Location: Anza Borrego State Park, CA
Date: 2003-05-10
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6

bird-friends.com
home

Gila Woodpecker Melanerpes uropygialis


Description

The Gila woodpecker eats beetles, grasshoppers, ants, fruits from saguaro cactus and berries, including mistletoe.



Appearance

Tan head, throat, breast, and belly. Small red cap on top of head. Back and wings barred with black and white. White rump. White uppertail coverts with sparse dark barring. Dark tail with barred central tail feathers. Darkish, pointy bill. Shows white wing patches in flight. Females and juveniles lack red cap. 8 to 10 inches in length.



Habitat

Cities, wooded desert washes, and saguaro cactus.



Nesting

3-5 white eggs. The eggs have a 12-14 day incubation period. Fledging occurs in ? days. The nest is merely a hole in a giant saguaro or a tree.



Audio

Listen to sounds this bird makes:




home | references