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Re: woodpecker markings




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