Birds · Piciformes · Picidae

Gila Woodpecker

Melanerpes uropygialis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

A medium-sized woodpecker with the back and wings barred in black and white, in a pattern reminiscent of a zebra. The neck, throat, belly and head are greyish brown or pale beige, and the nape entirely brown. Only the adult male wears a small red cap on the crown. In flight the white wing patches and the barred rump stand out.

Weight

65 g on average

Size

20 cm – 25 cm

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Estimated population

About 1.5 million breeding birds

DesertOmnivore Diurnal Solitary Bird Desert

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Fun facts

It excavates its nests in the saguaro, the giant cactus of the Sonoran Desert; the abandoned cavities are later reused by elf owls, bats and other birds.
Unlike the acorn woodpecker, with which it shares a genus, it is a solitary bird and does not form cooperative groups.
It is diurnal: it spends much of the day foraging and retires at nightfall.
It excavates its nests inside living saguaros; the cavity, which the cactus lines with a hard crust known as a 'boot', is later reused by elf owls, kestrels and many other birds.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Deserts of Aridoamerica with large cacti or large trees, in southern Arizona and western Mexico. It nests in cavities, and visits feeders and suburban areas
Size at birth: Altricial chicks, blind and helpless, which stay about four weeks in the cavity before flying
Gestation / incubation: 14 days
Litter / clutch size: 4

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; eBird (Cornell Lab); Animalia.bio; CONABIO/EncicloVida; Baird 1854