The white-headed woodpecker (Leuconotopicus albolarvatus ) is a non-migratory woodpecker that resides in pine forests of the mountains of western North America.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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starts withThe White-headed woodpecker is a non-migratory bird that resides in pine forests of the mountains of western North America. It has a black body, white head, and white primary feathers that form a crescent in flight. Males have a red spot at the back of their head. The eyes of the White-headed woodpecker are deep brown-red in color, the bill is blackish-grey and legs and feet are grey.
White-headed woodpeckers are found in western North America. These birds live in open coniferous forests in mountains where they prefer old-growth trees and recently burned or cut forests.
White-headed woodpeckers are diurnal and usually seen alone or in pairs. They forage in large trees and also come down to the ground. Males often forage on higher levels of trees, while females feed mainly on trunks. To reach their food White-headed woodpeckers will perch upside down and move upwards or sideways; occasionally they will catch insects in flight. In order to keep in touch with each other, the birds will drum or produce various types of calls. Their common call is a 'pee-dink', often prolonged 'pee-dee-dee-dink'. They also have a short, sharp, rattling call and can utter a 'kit-kit-kit-kit-kit' sound.
White-headed woodpeckers are carnivores (insectivores) and eat mainly insects and their larvae. They also consume pine seeds and pine sap.
White-headed woodpeckers are monogamous and form pairs. They breed between May and July; during this time these birds may become aggressive, defending their nest-sites and food sources. The pair excavates a nest cavity in a tree or in the stump of a sloping log. The female lays 2-9 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 2 weeks. The chicks hatch helpless (altricial) and fledge at 26 days of age.
The populations of the White-headed woodpecker are not threatened at present. However, these birds suffer from the loss of suitable trees for nesting through logging, fragmentation, and degradation of their native habitat.
According to the All About Birds resource the total breeding population size is around 240,000 birds. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
