Melanerpes lewis
The Lewis's Woodpecker forgoes many traditional woodpecker habits. Rather than clinging to tree trunks and chipping away for grubs, the Lewis's Woodpecker does much of its foraging as flycatchers do, catching insects on the wing. It is frequently seen perched on wires, and it often soars and flies directly, without undulating. This dark woodpecker is named in honor of Meriwether Lewis, one of the co-leaders of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition. Lewis was chosen to lead this trip to the Pacific by his long-time acquaintance, President Thomas Jefferson. Although Lewis was not trained as a naturalist, his diary entries include many concise observations of natural history. |
I.D.: Sexes similar. Adult: dark green upperparts; dark red face; light gray breast and collar; pinkish belly; dark undertail coverts; sharp, stout bill. Immature: brown head and face; brown breast; lacks the red in the face and the light gray collar. Size: L 11 in. (28 cm). Range: uncommon resident in the Colorado Rockies; summer resident in the western Montana Rockies; rare in the greater Yellowstone area; rare breeder north into the Canadian Rockies. Habitat: open riparian cottonwood, ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests in the montane. Nesting: excavates a cavity in a dead or dying tree; pair incubates 6-7 white eggs for about 15 days. Feeding: flycatches for flying invertebrates; probes into cracks and crevices for invertebrates. Voice: harsh series of churr-churr-churr-churr-churr. Similar Species: Williamson's Sapsucker: male has a large, white wing patch and lacks the red face. |
