EveLyn from Port Orange, Florida Writes...
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> FirstName: EveLyn
> Enter your city : Port Orange
> Enter your request : Am I correct in my assumption that woodpeckers are
> somewhat rare in this area?
> When I take a walk in the morning between 7 and 8, I usually hear a really
> loud pecking near a lovely home a few blocks from me.
> I am NOT a birder/birdwatcher and I have not seen
> this wood-pecker, but I wonder if it is of interest to you-all.
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Our Reply...
EveLyn:
Actually woodpeckers are very common in your area, although they may
be hard to see at first. There are at least five types that can be seen in Florida
residential areas:
1) A very tall (16 to 19 inch tall) red-headed variety the,
"Pileated". This bird was the model for the cartoon character "Woody
Woodpecker".
2) A medium sized (9 to 10 inches) with a bar of red that extends from
the top of the head down the nape of the neck, the "Red-bellied".
3) Another medium sized (9 1/2 inches) with a touch a red on the nape
and a black and white ladder pattern on the back, the "Hairy".
4) And a small one (6 1/2 inches) that looks like a smaller version
of the Hairy called the "Downy" woodpecker.
5) If you look closely at some tree trunks, about 5 feet or more off
the ground, you may find a series of holes that ring the trunk. This
is the feeding pattern of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (8 to 9
inches). This variety of woodpecker is here during the winter months.
It drills a series of holes around the trunk causing the sap to flow,
then comes back later to eat the bugs trapped in the sticky sap.
Very often the woodpeckers make their presence known by their tapping
and then you can try to see them by looking for the source of the
noise.
P.S. you are now a beginning birder... to be a birder all you need is
the desire to know something about these beautiful creatures.
Congratulations.
Thank you for your question.
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