Backyard Birding

Nothing is quite so exciting in bird feeding as discovering a new visitor, especially if you are not sure what kind of bird it is. Today, we were lucky enough to attract this beautie:

Size: About the size of a blue jay

Color: Black with distinctive white patch on rump with black stripes. The head is more brownish. White underside with light streaking.

Beak: Seems large for the bird, like a jay or woodpecker. All black.

Behavior: The bird flew in and landed on the large branch outside the window. It seemed tame and curious. When my daughter ran in asking what kind of bird I saw, the other birds at the feeder flew off but this one stayed. It hopped up the branch like a woodpecker, watching the feeders closely. A red-headed woodpecker arrived shortly afterwards. The two birds left together.

The bird was actually there long enough for my daughter to get the bird guide and we went through each picture. It sat there as we compared each picture to it. This is rare and why it is so important to at least take good mental notes before looking at the pictures. There were some similarities to both the three-toed woodpecker and the black backed woodpecker, but that would have been an extremely rare find. We are way outside of their normal range, but there were also distinguishing features lacking. I guessed that what we were seeing was a juvenile that had not yet received its adult plumage. Since it came with a red-headed woodpecker, my first guess was that it was one of those.

I never would have thought it would be so difficult to find a picture of a juvenile red-headed woodpecker! I finally stumbled across some, however, and confirmed that Jr. had indeed come for a visit. It is exciting to confirm my first guess, and even more exciting to see the offspring of one of our favorite “regulars.”

backyard birding, birding, birdwatching, red-headed woodpecker, woodpecker