Gila Woodpecker

Facts about Gila Woodpeckers, "Scientific name for Gila Woodpecker is "Melanerpes uropygialis". The Gila woodpecker is a Melanerpes type of woodpecker that comes from the Picidae family. Scientific name for Woodpecker "Picidae". Gila Woodpeckers are birds in the Class of "Aves". There are more than 190 species of woodpeckers worldwide, but none of them are found in polar regions, Madagascar, New Zealand or Australia.

The Gila Woodpeckers are native to the desert areas of the southwestern parts of the United States. The Gila Woodpecker are largely found through southeastern parts of California, southern parts of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. The Gila Woodpeckers are the quality birds of the saguaro cactus woodlands. This habitat of these birds is made up of a typical low desert scrub of the Sonoran Desert. The Gila Woodpecker construct nests in the gaps made in the mesquite or saguaro cactus trees. Cavities, dug by the Gila woodpecker in saguaro cacti are later used by an assortment of other varieties.

Features

The Gila woodpecker is an average-sized woodpecker, with a body length ranging from 9 inches to 9 13/32 inches (4 to 4.26 cm) and they have a body mass that ranges from 1.8 pounds to 2.8 pounds (.81 to 1.27 kg).

An average Gila Woodpeckers tongue is up to 4 inches long. The length can be a little different depending on which species of woodpecker. The Gila Woodpecker tongue wraps around the reinforced skull structured and squashy bone, to even out the impact of the pecking force. Gila Woodpeckers have barbed tongues that helps them remove bugs from holes and tree bark.
Feathers that look like hairs on the Gila Woodpecker nostrils, prevent ingestion of wood particles.

The wings and the back part of the Gila Woodpecker are marked and excluded with a black and white color pattern similar to a zebra. The throat, neck, abdomen and head of the Gila Woodpeckers are grey-brown in color. The male Gila Woodpecker has a tiny red cap on the top of its head. Juveniles and Female Gila Woodpeckers resemble each other, but both are short of the red cap of the mature male bird. During the flight, the Gila Woodpeckers display their white colored wing patches. The tail of the bird is dark, with white color bars on the middle tail feathers that range from 8 inches to 10 inches (20.3 to 25.4 cm) in length. The voice of the Gila woodpecker has a rolling chirr sound, and its drum is elongated and stable.

When a Gila Woodpecker pair digs a hole in a saguaro cactus, usually, it will not use the hole for many months. Male Gila Woodpeckers forage mostly on the main branches and the trunk of saguaro cacti, whereas the females concentrate on the border and contaminated areas.

Gila Woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet, having 4 fingers, which means they have two toes facing the front and two toes facing the back, that helps them to have a strong grip on trees vertically. The Gila Woodpecker use these 8 fingers with their stiff central portion tail feathers to brace on trees as they climb.

Male and female Gila Woodpeckers are able to drum hollow trees logs execrate. Gila Woodpeckers drumming is also to attract a mate, mark out territory, both sexes are known to drum.

When feeding, drumming and building a nest cavity, a Gila Woodpecker can peck up to 20 times per second, wow that's fast! or a total between 9,000 and 12,000 pecks in a day.

Gila Woodpeckers have a prominent surge in flight comprise of three rapid wing flaps, followed by a quick glide when the Gila Woodpeckers wings are tucked against its body rather than spread out like many other birds.

The average life span of a woodpecker in the wild is 6 to 10 years, depending on the species and environment

Diet

Mostly, Gila Woodpeckers feed on insects, but they will also feed on mistletoe berries, cactus fruits and other cyclic fruits. The Gila Woodpecker have tailored to human populations by learning to suspend onto the garden, hummingbird feeders and drink the sweet water. The Gila Woodpeckers also have been recognized to whip the food of a dog from garden porches.

Gila Woodpeckers are omnivores; meaning - an animal that eats food of both animal and plant and origin.

Gila Woodpeckers are monogamous meaning- the pair will mate for lifetime. Both male and female Gila Woodpecker prepare the nest in the tree for babies and both will help feed them. The female Gila Woodpecker will lay between 3 and 5 eggs and the incubation period will lasts 11 to 14 days. After one month of hatching, young Gila Woodpeckers will leave the nest and venture out on there own.

Gila Woodpeckers possess a protective ocular mechanisms for protecting its eyes from shaking from the pecking impact. Gila Woodpeckers show a restricted axial globe movement due to the tight fit within the fascial tissue connections and orbit between the sclera and orbital rim.
The eyes of the Gila Woodpecker are covered with a nictitating membrane (from Latin nictare, to blink)— a translucent and transparent third eyelid - that protects the Gila Woodpeckers eyes from flying debris while pecking.