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Gila Woodpecker - male and female

Melanerpes uropygialis

Description:

see other spotting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/304... except that male has small red cap

Habitat:

This pair were feeding young in another saguaro cactus cavity nest. Great sonoran desert habitat in this Lost Dutchman State Park.

Notes:

This pair were taking the black spines from the cactus around their nest cavity in their beaks but I could not see what they were doing with them. Putting them in their nest? in photo 4 you can see the beaks of the nestlings slightly in the dark of the cavity as the female is stretching away from the cavity to get another black spine. Photo 3 shows the male with a red berry in its beak ready to feed the young. Same berry as in the other spotting link above.This was really interesting birding!

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KathleenMcEachern
Spotted by
KathleenMcEachern

Arizona, USA

Spotted on Apr 22, 2014
Submitted on May 7, 2014

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Gila Woodpecker Cactus Wren family Bird Nest in Fruit Chain Cholla Iron Cross Blister Beetle

Reference

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