Hairy woodpecker

Hairy woodpecker

·        Introduction

The furry pecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) could be a medium-sized pecker, averaging just about 250 metric linear unit (9.8 in) long with a 380 metric linear unit (15 in) wingspread.[2] With AN calculable population in 2003 of over nine million individuals, the hairy woodpecker is listed by the IUCN as a species of least concern in North America.[3] Some taxonomic authorities, including the American Ornithological Society, continue to place this species within the Picoides, while others place it in Dryobates

·        Range

The furry pecker inhabits mature deciduous forests[2][5] within the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States.[3] Mating pairs will excavate a hole in a tree, where they will lay, on average, four white eggs.

·        Description

dults square measure chiefly black on the higher elements and wings, with a white or pale back and white spotting on the wings; the throat and belly vary from white to sooty brown, depending on subspecies. There is a white bar higher than and one below the attention. They have a black tail with white outer feathers. Adult males have a red patch or 2 side-by-side patches on the rear of the head; juvenile males have red or seldom orange-red on the crown.[6]

The furry pecker measures from 18–26 cm (7.1–10.2 in) in length, 33–43 cm (13–17 in) in wingspan and 40–95 g (1.4–3.4 oz) in weight.[7][8] It is virtually identical in plumage to the smaller downy woodpecker. The downy features a shorter bill relative to the dimensions of its head, which is, other than size and voice, the best way to distinguish them in the field. These 2 species don't seem to be closely connected, however, and are likely to be separated in different genera.[9][10] Another way to tell the two species apart is the lack of spots on its white tail feathers (present in the downy). Their outward similarity could be a spectacular example of confluent evolution. As to the reason for this convergence, only tentative hypotheses have been advanced; in any case, because of the considerable size difference, ecological competition between the two species is slight.

These birds are mostly permanent residents. Birds within the extreme north could migrate additional south; birds in mountainous areas could move to lower elevations.

These birds forage on trees, often turning over bark or excavating to uncover insects. They primarily eat insects, but also fruits, berries and nuts, as well as sometimes tree sap. They are a natural predator of the European corn borer, a moth that costs the US agriculture industry more than $1 billion annually in crop losses and population control.[11][12] They are conjointly identified to eat picket window frames and wood-sided homes which will house pre