Red-Cockaded Woodpecker?

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MonarchzMan
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Joined: September 8th, 2011, 6:12 pm
Location: Oxford, MS

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker?

Post by MonarchzMan »

Alright, not sure if I am going crazy here, but I am 90% sure that I just saw a Red-Cockaded Woodpecker right outside my kitchen window. The 90% stems from the fact that it is an endangered species and rare, and I would be on the edge of its range. If I were just going off of looks and had no other information to go by, I would be more confident.

It was about 6-7" long with horizontal black and white stripes on its back and black and white stripes on its head, but no red. It was definitely a woodpecker as it started to peck at the bushes it was in.

I looked in my field guide and I honestly don't know what else it could have been. I've seen plenty of Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers to know what they look like, and this definitely was not one of those. Like I said, the most striking feature was the stripes on the back and according to allaboutbirds.org, the only species it may be confused for are the Downy, Hairy, and Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. Like I said, I didn't see any distinct red patches on the head (I was maybe 5 feet away from it, and it sat there for a minute or two; light was low, but I think I would have noticed color if there was any; a female cardinal came in at the same time and I did notice the red on her) and it seems too small for a Sapsucker.

Am I crazy to think that there was a RCW sitting outside of my window? It doesn't seem like it should be here, but I really have no idea what else it could be.
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Andy Avram
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Re: Red-Cockaded Woodpecker?

Post by Andy Avram »

Could have been. If you are posting from near Oxford then it looks like you are pretty close to the Holly Springs NF (I am not familiar with this area, just googlemaped it). Seems they might do some management for the bird there, which needs mature pine forests. Personally, I don't see why it couldn't be one. In a few of the national forests, where management for the birds takes place they can be quite common, such as Apalachacola.

Andy
MonarchzMan
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Re: Red-Cockaded Woodpecker?

Post by MonarchzMan »

I hadn't thought of Holly Springs. All of the maps I saw looked like they occurred south of there, but perhaps they are managing for them around here somewhere. I know there are long leaf pine forests around here. I just was rather surprised such a bird would be passing through a subdivision.
Coluber Constrictor
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Re: Red-Cockaded Woodpecker?

Post by Coluber Constrictor »

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MonarchzMan
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Joined: September 8th, 2011, 6:12 pm
Location: Oxford, MS

Re: Red-Cockaded Woodpecker?

Post by MonarchzMan »

Coluber Constrictor wrote:If you live in the middle of a longleaf pine forest, I'd say yes, it could be a red cockaded. Otherwise, probably not.
No, I don't really live in the middle of a long leaf pine forest (there are some around, but not a large forest or anything). The question, then, would be if not a RCW, then what?
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MHollanders
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Re: Red-Cockaded Woodpecker?

Post by MHollanders »

The best spot for them in east Texas doesn't have longleaf. Sounds like it was one.
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chrish
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Re: Red-Cockaded Woodpecker?

Post by chrish »

For me, the white cheek of a RCWO is visually diagnostic. Downy/Hairy don't show such an obvious white face patch.

It certainly isn't unreasonable for it to be a RCWO, as long as you can eliminate Downy/Hairy for sure.
Matt Buckingham
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Re: Red-Cockaded Woodpecker?

Post by Matt Buckingham »

Chrish is right, the white, unbroken cheek patch of an RCW is going to be the best way to identify it. Both Hairy and Downies (and sapsuckers) have a dark line running from their eye to their nape. If you didn't note this field mark it would be hard for any of us to say what you really saw.

RCW's don't need longleaf, but they do need a specific forest phsyiognomy. You should probably call your state DNR or Fish and Wildlife to report the sighting. They probably know where most of the clusters in the state are, and would know if there was one near you (though that doesn't mean they'll tell you), and it's not unheard of to discover a new one!

At the end of the day anything is possible, I mean birds do have wings after all.
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Crimson King
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Re: Red-Cockaded Woodpecker?

Post by Crimson King »

red bellied?
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