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.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chee-up", "ick-ick-ick"

Interesting Facts

 The Lewis’s Woodpecker was named for Meriwether Lewis, one of the explorers who surveyed the areas bought by the USA in the Louisiana Purchase.

 It seldom excavates wood for boring insects. Instead, it gleans insects from the tree surface, or most commonly, flycatches.

 This species is poorly monitored in many parts of its range, but exhibits a significant long-term decline overall. Populations may have declined by as much as 50 % since 1966.

 A group of woodpeckers has many collective nouns, including a "descent", "drumming", and "gatling" of woodpeckers.

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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