Lewis's Woodpecker

Melanerpes lewisOrder: PICIFORMES Family: Woodpeckers (Picidae)

Codes: Common Name: LEWO Scientific Name: MELLEW ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178196

Breeding Location:

Forest edge, Grassland with scattered trees

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Uncommon to fairly common

Egg Color:

White

Number of Eggs:

4 - 9

Incubation Days:

13 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Wood chips or bark pieces in trunks of trees or poles.

Migration:

Some migrate

General

Lewis's Woodpecker: Medium-sized woodpecker with black upperparts and hood. Face is red, collar is gray, and belly is pale red. Sexes are similar. Juvenile lacks red face and collar, and has less red on belly.

Range and Habitat

Lewis's Woodpecker: Breeds from southern British Columbia and Alberta south to central California, northern Arizona, and northern New Mexico. Spends winters from southern British Columbia and Oregon to Colorado and south to northern Mexico. Open pine-oak woodlands, oak, or cottonwood groves in grasslands, and ponderosa pine country are preferred habitats.

Breeding and Nesting

Lewis's Woodpecker: Four to nine white eggs are laid in a cavity in a dead stump or tree limb, often at a considerable height. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Lewis's Woodpecker: About one-third of its diet consists of acorns, which it stores in cracks and bark furrows; also eats insects such as ants, crickets, and grasshoppers, also berries, pine nuts, juniper berries, cherries, and apricots.

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed, Nuts, Sugar Water, Fruit

Vocalization

Lewis's Woodpecker: Generally silent, but in the mating season, utters a chirring sound and a high-pitched, squalling "chee-up", repeated for long periods of time. Near the nest, the adults give a series of sharp "ick, ick, ick."

Similar Species

Lewis's Woodpecker: None in range.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Lewis's Woodpecker

Lewis's Woodpecker: Medium woodpecker with black upperparts, hood. Face is dark red, collar is gray, belly is pale red. The bill, legs and feet are black. It was named for Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Its dark plumage sets it apart from all other North American woodpeckers.

● Song: "chee-up", "ick-ick-ick"

● Foraging & Feeding: Lewis's Woodpecker: About one-third of its diet consists of acorns, which it stores in cracks and bark furrows; also eats insects such as ants, crickets, and grasshoppers, also berries, pine nuts, juniper berries, cherries, and apricots.

● Breeding & nesting: Lewis's Woodpecker: Four to nine white eggs are laid in a cavity in a dead stump or tree limb, often at a considerable height. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Lewis's Woodpecker: None in range.

Flight Pattern

Crowlike flight., Slow deliberate wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Lewis's Woodpecker: Breeds from southern British Columbia and Alberta south to central California, northern Arizona, and northern New Mexico. Spends winters from southern British Columbia and Oregon to Colorado and south to northern Mexico. Open pine-oak woodlands, oak, or cottonwood groves in grasslands, and ponderosa pine country are preferred habitats.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationUncommon to fairly common

^MigrationSome migrate

^Weight4.1 Ounces

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Collar

Similar to the upper part of the human neck, located at the back of the crown.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America