General

Gila Woodpecker: Medium-sized woodpecker with black-and-white barred upperparts, buff-gray belly, and buff-gray neck and underparts. Head is buff-gray with a small red cap. Wings have prominent white patches visible in flight. Female and juvenile are similar but lack red caps.

Range and Habitat

Gila Woodpecker: This species is a resident in southeastern California, extreme southern Nevada, southern Arizona, extreme southwestern New Mexico, northwestern and coastal Mexico and Baja California. Its preferred habitats include low desert scrub with saguaro or mesquite trees, which they use for nesting.

Breeding and Nesting

Gila Woodpecker: Three to five white eggs are laid in a hole in a giant saguaro cactus or tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Gila Woodpecker: Eats insects, bird eggs, fruits, and berries.

Readily Eats

Suet, Nuts, Sugar Water

Vocalization

Gila Woodpecker: Song is a rolling "churrrrrr."

Similar Species

Gila Woodpecker: Red-bellied Woodpecker (both parents) has extensive red on the head and nape, and paler underparts. Golden-fronted Woodpecker shows yellow on head, is paler below, and has dark, unmarked, central tail feathers.