Lewis's Woodpecker

Lewis's Woodpecker, named for explorer Meriwether Lewis who first documented it in 1805, is one of the most atypical woodpeckers in North America. It has a dark, iridescent greenish-black back and wings, a gray collar and breast, a deep pinkish-red belly, and a dark reddish face, lacking the strong black-and-white patterning typical of most woodpeckers.

Its flight is slow and buoyant, often compared to that of a crow, and it frequently perches upright on exposed snags, sallying out to catch insects in the air rather than excavating them from bark, a foraging style more reminiscent of a flycatcher than a typical woodpecker.

Key Field Marks

• Dark, iridescent greenish-black back, wings, and crown
• Dark red face patch
• Gray collar and upper breast
• Deep pink-red belly
• Slow, crow-like flapping flight, unlike the undulating flight of most woodpeckers

Similar Species

• No other North American woodpecker shares this combination of dark iridescent plumage and pink belly; from a distance in flight it can suggest a crow or American Robin due to its flight style and coloring, but its flycatching behavior and shape reveal its identity.

Habitat

Lewis's Woodpecker favors open ponderosa pine forest, burned pine stands with standing dead trees, oak woodlands, and riparian cottonwood groves, generally in areas with open canopy for aerial insect foraging.

Range

Breeds in the interior western United States and southern British Columbia, from the eastern slope of the Cascades and Rockies east to the Great Plains foothills, and winters from the southwestern United States into Mexico.

Migration

Many populations are migratory or nomadic, with irregular movements tied to food availability, particularly acorn crops; some populations in milder climates are resident.

Behavior

Lewis's Woodpecker forages primarily by flycatching, sallying from an exposed perch to snatch flying insects in mid-air, a behavior distinct from the bark-gleaning and excavating typical of most woodpeckers. It also caches acorns and nuts in bark crevices for winter use.

Voice

Calls include a harsh, chattering churr and various rattling notes; the species drums infrequently compared to other woodpeckers.

Feeding

Summer diet is dominated by flying insects caught on the wing; in fall and winter it relies heavily on stored acorns and other nuts.

Nesting

Pairs nest in cavities in dead trees or snags, often reusing old cavities excavated by other woodpeckers; both parents incubate the 5-9 white eggs.