Gila Woodpecker

  (Melanerpes uropygialis)

eBird describes the Gila Woodpecker like this:  This desert-dwelling woodpecker is plain buffy-brown with black-and-white barring on the back. Adult males have a red crown. No similar species in range. Occurs singly or in pairs, often perched conspicuously atop a cactus. Comfortable in human settlements; frequently visits feeders and backyards in suburban areas. Primarily a Mexican species, occurring extensively across Baja and in the Pacific lowlands south to Jalisco. Limited range in the U.S., mainly in Arizona.  All About Birds gives this basic description for the Gila Woodpecker:  Gila Woodpeckers have a knack for thriving in the nearly treeless desert habitats of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. While most woodpeckers excavate nest cavities in dead trees, Gila Woodpeckers dig out nest holes in living saguaro cactus that tower above the arid landscape. This neat brownish woodpecker with black-and-white striped back eats insects, berries, and cactus fruit. Once a nesting pair has raised its young, the nest holes become valuable real estate for nesting Elf Owls, pygmy-owls, flycatchers, Cactus Wrens, and other species.

I saw my first Gila Woodpeckers at the Paton Center in Patagonia on the morning of Wednesday, August 3, 2022.  I was there with a small group from the 2022 Southwest Wings Festival.  We saw a number of these woodpeckers that morning– they couldn’t resist the suet!  To see my blog post about my birding trip that included watching this bird, look here.  

FEMALE GILA WOODPECKER AT THE PATON CENTER IN PATAGONIA, ARIZONA. AUGUST 3, 2022.
A MALE AND FEMALE PAIR OF GILA WOODPECKERS AT THE PATON CENTER. THE MALE HAS THE RED PATCH ON THE TOP OF THE HEAD.
THIS MALE GILA WOODPECKER THAT I SAW AT THE PATON CENTER HAD MUCH MORE BROWN THAN MOST OF THE GILAS I SAW THAT DAY...AN OLDER BIRD PERHAPS?


“Cool Facts” About the Gila Woodpecker From All About Birds:

  • Nesting is a little different when you do it in a cactus. After excavating a hole in a saguaro cactus, a Gila Woodpecker pair typically waits for several months before using it, allowing the inner pulp of the cactus to dry into a solid casing around the cavity.
  • After Gila Woodpeckers have finished using their nest cavities, these shelters are often reclaimed by other species for their own nests, including American Kestrels, Elf Owls, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Brown-crested Flycatchers, Purple Martins, Cactus Wrens, and Lucy’s Warblers.
  • Male Gila Woodpeckers are aggressive during the breeding season, often attacking European Starlings, Brown-crested Flycatchers, Bendire’s and Curve-billed Thrashers, Cactus Wrens, and Bronzed Cowbirds. They also sometimes attack White-winged Doves and House Finches.
  • The male Gila Woodpecker forages mainly on the trunk and main branches of saguaro cactus, while the female concentrates on the periphery and decaying areas.
  • The oldest recorded Gila Woodpecker was a male in Arizona, who was at least 7 years, 9 months old.