- Melanerpes uropygialis
Identification
Length 20-25cm, wingspan 38-46cm
Light brown breast, head and most of underparts, with back, wings and undertail coverts blackish with thin white bars. Crown is red on adult male, lacking in female.
Similar Species
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Very similar in appearance to Golden-fronted Woodpecker, but distinguished by barred tail and not overlapping on range.
Distribution
A woodpecker primarily of the Sonoran desert. South-eastern California, where numbers are decreasing; southern Arizona southward into western Mexico, including Baja California.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized:[1]
- M. u. uropygialis:
- M. u. cardonensis:
- Northern Baja California
- M. u. brewsteri:
- Southern Baja California
Habitat
Dry areas with scattered mesquite trees and saguaro cacti.
Behaviour
Noisy and conspicious.
Breeding
Monogomous, in partnership throughout the year.
Solitary nester; both sexes excavate the hole for the nest. Two, or maybe, three broods each year.
Diet
Primarily insectivorous; will visit feeders (meat, suet, fruit).
Vocalisation
Call: loud abrasive variable calls, often a series of chürr üh-rr
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved April 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Gila Woodpecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Gila_Woodpecker
External Links
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