Meet Our White-headed Woodpecker...

While not in our yard, thankfully, this guy is nesting around the corner in the remnants of a dead tree. I thought I'd share some information about this beautiful woodpecker.

This is a male, medium-sized woodpecker with a trim body, a short, sharp bill, rather long wings, and a long tail. He forages by clinging to pine cones and prying out or hammering out seeds, also by flaking bark and probing pine needle clusters for insects, especially during the breeding season. In addition he digs rows of shallow holes in trees (“sapwells”) in order to eat sap.
The male selects the nest site, about 8 feet above ground on average. Both male and female excavate the nest. I believe this is the female, nestled in. Her clutch will contain 2-9 eggs. At birth, the hatchings will be "naked and helpless". We are going to make certain to watch this little woodpecker family as it grows. Though they are destructive to old wood cabins, they are captivating to observe. I love fun nature in our own neighborhood.

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