Anybody has any idea? I know it is a woodpecker because it is trying to make holes in the tree in our backyard. It does not look like the red-bellied woodpecker as it has a black back; red-bellied's back is like black and white stripes. It also does not have any red belly. I have contacted the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I know woodpeckers are bad for trees but I simply don't have the heart to chase it away.
I also took a video but will post the link later on. It is a HD video and blogger is refusing to upload it..grrrr.....I think I have to compress it.
Okay, while I was writing this up, Cornell told me that it is a Pileated woodpecker. Here is more information about
them (click on them or this link: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/pileated-woodpecker/).
It is also the largest woodpecker in the United States, except the possibly extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker :-).
I was just about to say it was a Pileated woodpecker and then saw your ID at the bottom lol, btw it's a Male.
ReplyDeleteCool looking bird we dont see here in the UK.
Linda
Hi Linda, thank you. How do you know it is a male bird?Any sign on it? This is first time I am seeing it :-)
DeleteThe red strip from the beak - that's a male trait. Cool pictures and an amazing bird to see :)
DeleteLinda
Beautiful shots. I have several woodpeckers in my yard. I don't have a camera that has a good enough lens to get good pictures, but I can hear them pecking. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi RMGales, thank you :-). I also have other smaller ones, but this was a complete surprise today.
DeleteI love pileated woodpeckers...we have them here as well and they are just magnificent...I have even had them nesting high in black walnut trees at the old house.
ReplyDeleteHi Donna, I am pretty sure you will have many there if you have lots of woods around your home. Awww..that would have been so nice to watch them nest in your backyard. However, a walnut tree might handle their habit, not my thin pear tree.
DeleteFantastic that you have a pileated woodpecker, we have other species but this one is a real find!
ReplyDeleteHi Jason, Thank you :-). We have all sorts of varities - fluffy, red-head small ones, red-bellied. But, this one was firs time! I was really happy that it was there, but was also getting worried; I read that they can make such big holes that the tree can topple over. It was trying to make holes in my thin pear tree.
DeleteGreat you have got your woodpecker named, I just want to let you know what I do with my HD videos.
ReplyDeleteI save them as HD, no compression at all, then I upload to YouTube. After upload you play your video and click on 'share', then 'embed' to get the embed code. This code you paste into your Blogger page, on the HTML tab, not on Compose. The video will not show up while you are writing but will show up in preview. You can decide the width of your video on the embed code where it says video size.
Good luck!
I tried putting it up on the youtube. Even youtube could not handle that large file; it said work aborted :(.
DeleteHelene,Fantastic :). Thanks so much for the information. I will try to do it soon.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have chased him away either he's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHi Liz, yes, he was beautiful. He came for one day, chipped off the woods and then flew away conquering my heart in the process :-(. Where is he?
DeleteYou captured those shots well! I don't think I could have the heart to chase him away. Whenever I see the woodpecker in my garden - I just stand stock still and watch in awe. Mind you he only comes for food, so it's not so damaging and he does share with the other birds :)
ReplyDeleteAngie, that's what I read also. As the woodpecker pecks away the woods, he discloses many of the critters that were hidden in the tree, and other birds feed on them. Ah! the beauty of nature and its dependence on each other.
DeleteA beautiful bird. Fair play to ya for getting the pics. I can never get good bird pics, as soon as I bring out the camera they all fly away. Shy birds round here!!
ReplyDeleteBridget, I was zooming in from quite a distance away. The birds here also fly away as soon as they see me. Grrrr...and sad :-(...I want to be their friends, but they show no inclination.
DeleteNice! This is a bird I never got to see in person.
ReplyDeleteMalay-Kadazan girl: don't worry. This bird perhaps pale to the beauties of tropic that you see in Malaysia :-)
DeleteDon't worry about the woodpecker being bad for your trees. The trees will be fine and he's a beauty to watch. I have them in my garden, too.
ReplyDeleteCasa Mariposa: thank you :-). Anyway, he came to my garden only for one day :-(.
Delete