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Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Genus: Melanerpes
Species: lewis
Gr. pikos woodpecker
La. picus woodpecker
Gr. Circe, mythological
daughter of Helios, changed
Picus, son of Saturn, into a
woodpecker
La. forma form, shape, kind
Gr. melas black
Gr. herpes a creeper
La. lewis for Meriwether Lewis |
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| Upper parts, wings and tail green black
with bronze luster. Dark crimson face. Narrow distinct collar around back of neck. Bluish
gray breast. Pink underside. Resembles a Crow in flight. Inhabits
coniferous and mixed forests, groves and scattered trees throughout west of the Great
Plains to the Pacific, north to Alberta and British Columbia, east to the Black Hills of
South Dakota and the Colorado Plains, south to Arizona and New Mexico. It was identified
by the Lewis and Clark Expedition near Helena, Montana.
Excavates tree cavities often in coniferous trees as much as two
feet deep between chest high and extreme heights. |
| Lays six to eight, more or less, white
eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about
another four weeks. Eats fruit, nuts and insects.
The Lewis' Woodpecker nest box (same
as for the Flicker, Pigmy Owl, Saw-Whet Owl, and Grackle) has a
7" by 7" floor, 16" inside ceiling, 2 1/2" diameter entrance hole
located 14" above the floor and ventilation openings.
A hinged roof is secured with shutter hooks. Assembled with screws.
Mount 12 feet or higher on a tree in forest edge, or grove. |
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| Because they commonly nest in natural or
abandon cavities, or excavate their own cavities, place wood chips in the nest box. |
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