Black-cheeked Woodpecker

Melanerpes pucherani

eBird describes the Black-cheeked Woodpecker in this way:  Medium-sized woodpecker of humid evergreen forest and edge in tropical lowlands. Less numerous than larger and more conspicuous Golden-fronted Woodpecker, which often occurs in the same areas. Distinctive, with big black mask, white patch behind eye, black upperparts with narrow white bars, and big white rump patch. Male has full red crown. Female has grayish forecrown and red hindcrown.

The Birds of the World site introduces this bird with this descriptive information:  This woodpecker occupies a reasonably broad range, principally over the Caribbean slope of Middle America, where it is found from southern Mexico south to Panama, thence south through the Pacific lowlands of northwest South America to western Ecuador. Its altitudinal range covers elevations from around sea level to c.1500 m. The Black-cheeked Woodpecker appears to form a superspecies with the Golden-naped Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen) and the recently split Beautiful Woodpecker (Melanerpes pulcher). Unlike these two species, the Black-cheeked Woodpecker has virtually the entire crown red (in males) or black and red (females), and the black wings are barred with white. All three species have mainly barred underparts.

I saw, and photographed, my first Black-cheeked Woodpecker on the afternoon of February 5, 2023, at the Nectar & Pollen Reserve.  I got a very brief look at this bird and had time to take only one picture.  I must say I am proud of this shot– maybe there is hope for my photography skills after all!  To see my blog post that includes our visit to Nectar & Pollen Reserve and watching this beautiful bird, look here.