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Melanerpes uropygialis
Very specialized woodpecker, found almost exclusively in the US in southern Arizona, down into Mexico. They are unique (as woodpeckers), because they live in Saguaro Cactus cavities. When a mating pair build a nest, they must first carve a cavity out of a Saguaro. Once the cavity is done, the birds wait for several months to allow the inner walls of the cavity to harden, thus allowing them to build their nest. In the first photo above, the female is excavating debris from the cavity...scattered on the lower right of the hole. In the second photo above, the male is checking her progress (appears she is doing all the work...not uncommon in many species).
Southern Arizona, in desert areas with large cactus concentrations.
Spotted on Feb 24, 2015
Submitted on Feb 28, 2015
7 Comments
You're welcome Jim! Keep the great stuff coming. We appreciate your wonderful contributions here.
Daniele...Thanks!
Congratulations Jim Nelson! Your spotting has been chosen for Project Noah's Fact of the Day: "The Gila woodpecker, a specialized desert species, maintains a mutually beneficial relationship with the saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea). Gila woodpeckers perform an important function for the cactus in drilling out unhealthy flesh and removing disease-causing insects. As the diseased tissue heals and pulp hardens, the excavation site later becomes a nesting hole for the woodpecker. When abandoned by woodpeckers these cavities are in turn used by other birds as well as reptiles and rodents. Gila woodpeckers are found in southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico".
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What a beautiful sequence!! Great shot this one. Great spotting!
Nice series.
So cool. Thanks for the info and for sharing :)
Nice information in addition to the photos!