Birds
Lewis's Woodpecker
Melanerpes lewis · also called Lewis's woodpeckers
Sallying out from a perch to snatch an insect in mid-air, Lewis’s woodpecker hunts more like a flycatcher than a typical bark-drilling woodpecker, its dark, iridescent plumage and pink-red belly unlike anything else in the entire woodpecker family.
Overview
Lewis’s woodpecker, Melanerpes lewis, is an unusual flycatching woodpecker native to forest and grassland habitat across parts of western North America. Its distinctive habit of catching insects in flight, dark iridescent plumage paired with a pink-red belly, and practice of storing acorns in bark crevices for winter make it one of the most behaviourally and visually distinctive woodpeckers found anywhere in North America.
A woodpecker that hunts like a flycatcher
Rather than relying on drilling into bark, Lewis’s woodpecker has adopted a hunting style borrowed from an entirely different group of birds, sallying out from a perch to snatch insects directly out of the air.
Status
Least Concern, though declining in parts of its range due to the loss of open pine forest and burned woodland habitat.
Lewis's Woodpecker: common questions
How does Lewis's woodpecker hunt differently from most other woodpeckers?
This species catches insects in flight much like a flycatcher, an unusual hunting style rarely seen among woodpeckers, which typically drill into bark to extract insects rather than catching them on the wing.
How can you identify Lewis's woodpecker?
This species has dark, iridescent greenish-black plumage combined with a pink-red belly and pale grey collar, a distinctive colour combination unlike that of most other woodpeckers.
Does Lewis's woodpecker store food for winter?
Yes, this species stores acorns in crevices and cracks in tree bark, building up a food supply to draw on during the colder months when flying insects become scarce.
Why is Lewis's woodpecker declining in parts of its range?
This species has declined in parts of its range due to habitat loss, particularly the loss of open pine forest and burned woodland that it depends on for both nesting and its unusual flycatching hunting style.