Arizona Woodpecker

  (Dryobates arizonae)

eBird describes the Arizona Woodpecker this way:  This brown woodpecker is restricted to western Mexico; barely enters the U.S. in southern Arizona. Face pattern similar to Hairy Woodpecker but brown instead of black. Back is entirely brown with no white. Males show small red patch on back of head, absent on females. Brown spots and bars on underparts. Found in mountainous oak forest. Makes a squeaky “peek” call.  All About Birds offers this basic description of the Arizona Woodpecker:  With its wood-brown back and spotted underparts, the Arizona Woodpecker bucks the black-and-white color trend of most North American woodpeckers. This species of Mexico’s Sierra Madre barely reaches into southern Arizona and New Mexico, where it frequents pine-oak forests at middle elevations. These small woodpeckers forage by flying to the base of a tree and then spiraling up the trunk. While it’s fairly common in the proper habitat, this species is on the Yellow Watch List because of its restricted range.

I watched and photographed my first Arizona Woodpecker on the afternoon of August 5, 2022 while visiting Santa Rita Lodge in Madera Canyon, Arizona.  My visit was with a small group from the 2022 Southwest Wings Festival, guided by Richard Fray.  I was delighted to add this bird to my life list and got several good looks while at the Santa Rita Lodge.  For my blog post that includes my visit to Santa Rita Lodge, look here.