Winging it with the red headed woodpecker
By Jennifer Howard

Photo by Jennifer Howard

Abeautiful medium. sized woodpecker,is about 19 to 23 centimetres, with a wingspan of 42 cm, and weighing in at around 56 to 91 grams. They've got a stunning, brilliant full red head and stunning black and white body with a white wing patch. Hard to miss this bird.

Unfortunately, this woodpecker is declining in numbers because of habitat loss, development, clear cutting, and something else l found interesting is that creosote coated utility poles are lethal to these birds eggs and their young. These birds lay four to seven white eggs, are solitary nesters in tree cavities that the male builds, and also will reuse an old nest.

Both males and females look a like and share the parental duties. Incubation lasts for 12 to 14 days and the chicks fledge around 24 to 31 days. They can feed themselves shortly after leaving the nest, however still take food from the parents. Their diet consists of insects, spiders, millepedes, centipedes, seeds, berries and some nuts. They will also take sunflower seeds, suet, fruit and peanuts from backyard feeders.

This species is on the Species At Risk List under (special concern) and as of 2006 have declined by about 66 per cent in Ontario, they are also in trouble in the United States. l am awaiting the results from a five-year study (Breeding Bird Atlas), which l was a part of, to tell me the most recent details of their fate.

Many hours have gone into this study by many citizen scientists and we are all anxiously awaiting the results which should soon be in. The young red headed woodpecker is not as vibrant as the adults, but they are stunning just the same. They have a gray head, dark body with the white wing patches and gray chest as opposed to the adults' white chest. In flight these birds really stand out.

When hungry and begging, you here this high pitch squeaking from the young bird. Parent birds sound like the red bellied woodpecker and they both sound somewhat like a gray tree frog. Red bellied have a different pitch than the red headed, in time you can tell them apart. So l guess the easiest way to describe their call would be a wheezy sounding "queeah or queerp". Not as strong as the red bellied and somewhat shorter.

l live in Big Bay Point and was fortunate to have a pair that came every spring and raised three young. They were close to my house and l was able to watch the whole process. It was wonderful.

Then they disappeared. From 2002 to 2006 l didn't see any here. Then, in May of 2006 l had one arrive, then three.

Then it was amazing, l had eight flying around and calling, chasing and having a grand time. That lasted a day, then we were left with three. l had photographers

coming to see them from near and far, to try to catch a glimpse of this beautiful bird.

After a few days the pair was picked, the third bird finally moved on, and the pair raised three young. They brought them to my feeders and l watched them grow and graduate and, come September, leave to go further south.

In May, another one arrived, and a few days later another one came. These two did not stay around to close. l did see one once in a while. l had no idea what had come of them. Then, come August l heard that beautiful sound and went outside to see one adult and one baby. They had been successful again. These two were here daily and once in a while the other parent and two

more fledglings came to feast. l watched this little one graduate to feeding on its own as well as taking its first bath. Oh the wonders of nature. On Sept. 11, the time came for it to say goodbye. l had heard from other birders that another pair had been successful in Barrie, possibly even two pairs. This is great news. These birds are stunning to say the least, they

put on quite a show, to loose them would be an awful loss.

If you have a dead tree and it is safe to do so, leave it up for the woodpeckers. Hang out some suet, sit back and enjoy.