Birding | bleuwater

Bird of the Week: CLXVIII

Gila Woodpecker
Melanerpes uropygialis

ORDER: Piciformes
FAMILY: Picidae
SIZE: The adult is 8 to 10 inches long (20-25 cm) and weights 3.5 oz (68 gm).

We have several Gila Woodpeckers in our backyard. The males (photo above) have a patch of bright red feathers on top of their heads, while the females do not.

I had to get rid of my hummingbird feeder because the Gila Woodpeckers would attach themselves to it and drain it in an hour. The hummingbirds never got a chance.

Normally, they eat insects, berries and cactus fruit. They also like the birdseed I put out for my backyard birds.

They live in the deserts of the southwest US and Mexico. They make their nests in Saguaro cactus digging out a hole and allowing it to dry out for several months before moving in. That makes a solid casing around the nest.

This is a saguaro in our back yard with several nests made by Gila Woodpeckers. After they are done raising their young, they abandon their nest and other birds will claim the cavity nest as their own. Those birds include elf and pygmy owls, flycatchers, Cactus Wrens and other species.

Here are a male and female hanging out on a tree. Gila Woodpeckers are monogamous and mate for life. They have strong head and neck muscles so they are able to withstand the shock of pounding their bills into trees and other materials. Often we hear them pecking the metal top to our fireplace.