Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) lives in desert across Southeastern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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Gila woodpeckers carve nesting holes inside towering saguaro cacti, producing a hollow known as a "boot". They also use mesquite trees for similar cavities, expanding the range of suitable sites across the desert. After the birds abandon the boot, it becomes an immediate shelter for other desert dwellers, most famously the elf owl, which readily occupies the ready-made cavity. This reuse links the woodpecker's breeding activity to the broader desert community.
A typical Gila woodpecker clutch holds three to four white eggs, though unusually large clutches of six or seven have been recorded. The birds can raise two to three broods each year, allowing them to make the most of the brief desert breeding season. Both the male and female share incubation duties and continue to feed the chicks together, ensuring a high level of parental care throughout development.
Gila woodpeckers are known to perch on hummingbird feeders that people place in the desert and sip the sweet nectar directly from the stations. Nectar also forms part of their natural diet, which includes fruits, seeds and a variety of animal prey. By exploiting these high-energy food sources, the woodpeckers can supplement the insects they obtain by drilling into bark, especially during periods when insects are scarce.
Their omnivorous diet includes insects, fruits, nectar, seeds, lizards, eggs, worms, and even young chicks of small birds. They obtain insects by drilling into bark.
The species is listed as Least Concern globally, but it is classified as endangered within California. Populations have suffered notably in California, while Arizona populations remain strong.
Sources
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RangeSoutheastern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico
HabitatDesert
DietInsects and sap
About the Gila Woodpecker
In the arid landscapes of the American Southwest, the Gila Woodpecker flits with frenetic energy, its black and white plumage a stark contrast to the sun-scorched desert trees it calls home. With a drumming call that echoes through the stillness, this diminutive bird darts from branch to branch, its chisel-tipped beak probing the bark for hidden insects and sap. As it moves, its bright red cap flashes like a burst of flame, a vibrant splash of color in a world of dusty hues.
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