 RecRecognition
ognition
Sometimes called
Black Woodpecker or Crow Woodpecker, because of its' colour and flight. The adult is dark, with
green-glossed back; brown-red face patch; pale gray collar and pink-red
belly. In flight it looks more like a crow than a woodpecker. Named
after Meriwether Lewis, leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition which
crossed America in 1803-1806.
Haunts
Southern British Columbia is the best place in Canada to observe Lewis' Woodpeckers. They live in conifers and
mixed-wood forest of the Columbia valley. The Dutch Creek burn along
The West Side road, south of Invermere, is one of the best locations
for seeing these birds. Cottonwoods and Ponderosa pine are the
preferred trees for nesting in.
Schedule
The main spring movement occurs in the first 2 weeks of May. The autumn
migration begins in late summer when large wandering flocks can be
seen. By the end of September most Lewis' Woodpeckers are gone.
Field
Notes
Lewis Woodpeckers have some habits that are different from other
woodpeckers. Instead of landing vertically on a tree trunk, they perch
crosswise on a branch like a Robin. They are specialized at
"flycatching", flying out as much as 180 feet from their perch to
snatch an insect on the wing.
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