Seems I can't glance outside my window this winter without seeing a woodpecker or walk outside without hearing one. It might be the Red-bellied who has again taken residency nearby to treat himself to my feeder tray of black-oil sunflower seeds. (Here's an image of him taken from my kitchen window.) Or it might be the Downy Woodpeckers (male and female) who are almost always hanging from the block of suet that dangles near said seed tray. Sometimes I see a Hairy Woodpecker circling on the Walnut trees out back, but this ID is something of a question mark because, except for being a bit larger and having a longer bill, the Hairy looks almost identical to the Downy. Only when I see a Hairy up close (at my feeder) can I reliably make the call.
But to me the most striking of the local winter woodpeckers is the Pileated Woodpecker. One and a half feet long, this is a BIG woodpecker. And if sheer size doesn't give him away, a flaming red crest certainly will. Both males and females have this crest, though only the male has a red forehead and "whiskers." The other day I saw one flying high overhead making quite a racket. The Pileated has a distinctive call, descriptions of which never quite capture the reality. You need to hear an audio clips to appreciate it. (Audio clips are available at page below.)
If you want a one-stop "shopping" site to compare the woodpeckers of North America (those mentioned above and more), then check out this page hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse.aspx?shape=41,20
Until next time . . . Keep birds in your heart!
Georgia Anne
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