American Three-toed Woodpecker

On 2 December 2014, I went on a birding walk at Votier's Flats, in Fish Creek Park, hoping that someone would be able to find the Black-backed Woodpecker that had been seen. We were out of luck, unfortunately - I have seen one before, though.

After the walk, I again went over to Bebo Grove. No sign of the Barred Owl, but after a lot of searching for the owl, I happened to spot this female American Three-toed Woodpecker, presumably the mate of the male Woodpecker I had seen the previous day. (Males have a patch of yellow on top of the head).

This photo also shows a tree that has had some of its bark removed, leaving the orange-coloured wood exposed. The Woodpecker wants to get to the larvae that are in tunnels beneath the bark of dead or dying trees, so the bark has to be removed. Some trees are almost completely orange, so much bark has been peeled away by a Woodpecker. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, you can see the pieces of bark lying around the base of the tree, on top of the snow, if a Woodpecker has been at work very recently. This species is uncommon in Alberta, year round.

"The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found in boreal forests and montane coniferous forests across North America. Because of its choice of habitat, it is infrequently seen by most people." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Three-toed_Woodpecke...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_three-toed_woodpecker