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Re: woodpecker markings
- To: jsr6@duke.edu, carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Re: woodpecker markings
- From: Psbmt@aol.com
- Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 09:23:19 EDT
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
In a message dated 6/20/02 5:29:38 PM, jsr6@duke.edu writes:
<< Added Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpecker to the new yard list today! The
Hairy was a fledgling of this year, with red over most of its cap, >>
Josh and all,
I've been seeing Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers and their young
frequenting my feeders often this season.
With respect to the Downy (and Hairy) juveniles, I think it's interesting
that they have red feathering towards the front of their crowns, while the
adult male's red is on the nape. It's a field mark that helps me identify
them as juveniles, but wonder what other purpose it may have? I guess one
reason is that it's less conspicuous being located there since it would be
towards the tree that they're clinging on, while the males red patch would be
obvious and stand out. Also many of the other juv. Woodpecker species have
an absence of red, or brownish feathering instead, but many of those have
much more red as adults than the Downys and Hairys.
Looking through my field guide, in the west, the Arizona and White-headed
WP have the same change between crown and nape markings with juv. and adults,
and the other Woodpeckers with small amounts of red or yellow on head, have
less noticeable differences between adults and juveniles.
I read something about Hairy's that I didn't know in my Sibley Guide,
that rarely the juveniles will have yellow on the crown instead of red.
Shelley Theye
Shelley Theye
N. Chatham County, NC (south of Chapel Hill)
Psbmt@aol.com