Strickland's Woodpecker

Overview

Strickland's woodpecker (Leuconotopicus stricklandi) is a medium-sized species of woodpecker endemic to Mexico. First described in 1845 by Alfred Malherbe, the species was formerly considered a single taxon with the Arizona woodpecker before being officially split into separate species by the American Ornithologists Union.

Identification

• Approximately 7 to 8 inches in length, with a predominantly brown and white plumage.
• Brown upperparts featuring a dark rump, contrasting with white underparts speckled with numerous brown spots.
• Wings typically display three white bars, while the face has two white stripes joining a white bar on the neck.
• Males possess a red patch on the nape of the head, a marking absent in females.

Habitat

This quiet and shy bird is usually found in pine forests and mixed pine-oak slopes at elevations of approximately 4,500 to 7,000 feet. Its range follows a thin east-west band across central Mexico, extending from Michoacán to Veracruz.

Did you know?

The bird’s current name commemorates the British scientist Hugh Edwin Strickland. Despite being endemic to Mexico, the species was also discovered by Colusa High School students in California in 1942.