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Big woodpecker1/12/2024 Response: These are the three largest woodpecker species in North America and Mexico: the pileated woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus ivory-billed woodpecker, Campephilus principalis of the southeastern United States and Cuba, and the imperial woodpecker, C. Can you tell me what these shared traits are? Can you identify these birds' taxonomic family and species? Question: These three iconic American mystery birds share a number of important traits. Nikon D200 camera with a Nikkor 24-85mm zoom at ISO 200. Image: Bobby Harrison/ Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foundation, courtesy of AMNH, 2006 (with permission). They have the most varied diet of all the woodpeckers.These mounted specimens were photographed at the American Museum of Natural History, New York City (USA). They have barbed tongues to help dig out acorns, nuts and seeds they’ve hidden in crevices. Their saliva is like glue, enabling them to snag insects in flight right out of midair. ![]() ![]() The mouths of these woodpeckers are specially equipped for catching and gathering food. The parents are so protective of the family that they will destroy any other nests in their territory. They take turns sitting on the nest, and it’s worth noting that the males take the night shift. Their nostrils are covered by feathers to keep out wood particles during excavation. The male shares his hole in a dead tree or constructs a new nesting site for the pair. If the object of his affection approves of him and his real estate, she answers by tapping on a tree. The male advertises his territory by calling and drumming. Here’s what we’re missing from these brightly feathered animated friends. We can no longer watch their fascinating behavior very easily now that Ontario’s red-headed woodpecker numbers have plummeted by 60% over the last few decades. Red-headed woodpeckers used to be frequent flyers here but the last breeding pair was seen here in the early 1990s. Keep and eye out for Red-bellied Woodpeckers in High Park in the winter! In the city, the male can be found tapping loudly on metal gutters, aluminum roofs, and even vehicles to attract a mate. Photo: David BeadleįUN FACT: Red-bellied Woodpeckers are attracted to noises that resonate. However, in the winter they will mostly eat the nuts and seeds that they had stored in bark crevices during the fall. They will also climb and perch among branches to pick berries and nuts, and can sometimes even catch flying insects in the air. When they are foraging, Red-bellied Woodpeckers will peck on tree trunks and major limbs in search of insects. ![]() This woodpecker is a Red-bellied woodpecker! These birds are so fun to observe in the wild, spontaneously flying and dodging among trees and shrubs, as if they were evading predators (sometimes they might be). You know that this bird is a woodpecker but it doesn’t quite look like the others you have seen so far. ![]() You then start to notice that there is a white and black body, with an almost zebra-like pattern, moving around. You slowly look up at the trees, following the line that is the trunk and suddenly, some bright red feathers draw your eyes in. As you walk through the trails, the bare tree branches are covered in a white blanket of snow. It is a beautiful cool winter day in High Park. By Haya Aldoori (this article first appeared in the High Park Nature Centre blog on January 2, 2019)
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