Arizona Dreamin’

By laurie54

Arizona Woodpecker

Really, that's the name of the species!  I like to give background on birds that aren't very familiar to most folks outside of my location.  So here goes:

A Mexican species of the pine-oak mountain woodlands, the Arizona Woodpecker barely makes its way into the United States:  extreme southeastern parts of Arizona and SW New Mexico.  Estimates of global breeding population is 200,000, with 4% living in the U.S., and 96% in Mexico.

Their plumage is mainly brown and white in coloration, brown on top with white underparts speckled with brown spots. They have two white stripes across their face which join with another white bar on their neck. This is a female because it lacks a red patch on the nape of its head. 

Of the typical woodpeckers of the U.S. and Canada, the Arizona Woodpecker is the only species that is brown and white and not black and white.  It was getting a little dark so the brown isn't all that distinctive.  It's  better in the extra where she's feeding on a suet block. (Notice the location of the eye in the blip so you can see it in the extra.)

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