The Woodpecker that Doesn't (peck wood)

How about a woodpecker that doesn't really like to peck wood? And instead of drilling into tree trunks looking for grubs it prefers to feed on flying insects?  Well, we have such a bird in our Northeast Washington neighborhood.

During the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806 the Corps of Discovery encountered and cataloged hundreds of animal and plant species never before seen by European naturalists. Native Americans had already seen, named, and understood these species for centuries. The leader of of the expedition, Meriwether Lewis, had received training in natural history prior to departure. He documented each new species they encountered and many specimens were brought back with them on their return. Naturalists began cataloging and giving their own names to these "new" species.

One of the new species was a bird of the northern Rockies that was obviously a woodpecker. It was named the Lewis's Woodpecker. It is easily identified by its dark, oily green back, rosy pink belly and gray collar.

Lewis's Woodpecker on Bisbee Mtn., May 25, 2019

Lewis's woodpecker is a little different in that it generally does not excavate it's own cavity in trees. It prefers, instead, to use holes already excavated by other woodpeckers, or natural cavities in older, decaying trees. The Lewis's woodpecker will use its substantial beak to tidy up and fine tune the cavity to its liking.

Another unusual behavior for a woodpecker is its preference for catching flying insects instead of finding grubs under bark and in decaying wood. It can be observed flying out from a perch, perform aerial acrobatics to catch flying insect prey, and returning to its perch. This is very much like the various Flycatchers and Bluebirds we can see in our area.

A third distinctive is the way it often perches. In the photo above you can see the Lewis's Woodpecker perched perpendicular to the tree branch - not clinging vertically to a tree trunk. Lewis's woodpeckers can and do climb tree trunks vertically like other woodpeckers. But unlike its cousins, it can generally be seen perched on top of a branch, snag or utility pole.

Flying Lewis's Woodpecker. Photo courtesy Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Keep an eye out for Lewis's Woodpeckers in  open pine forests and also in aspen and cottonwoods near streams.

Good Birding,

      - Hawkeye