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Project Noah Nature School
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
The adults are striking-looking woodpeckers with red heads and necks. Both sexes are alike. They have a white belly and rump, the back is black, and the wings are black and white.
Spotted at a park along the Ouachita River in Arkansas. Lots of deciduous trees.
Fun fact from The Cornell Lab "All About Birds" that I thought was interesting: The Red-headed Woodpecker is one of only four North American woodpeckers known to store food, and it is the only one known to cover the stored food with wood or bark. It hides insects and seeds in cracks in wood, under bark, in fenceposts, and under roof shingles. Grasshoppers are regularly stored alive, but wedged into crevices so tightly that they cannot escape.
Spotted on Jul 17, 2022
Submitted on Aug 28, 2022
2 Comments
Thank you Sukanya.
True beauty...the fun fact (especially the one on grasshoppers) was really interesting!