This picture was taken in North Hollywood, in Los Angeles County. It’s
a woodpecker or sapsucker of some sort. The markings on the bird are
important, as are status and distribution. Good luck!
Answer will be displayed on January 1.
Answer:
his bird’s beak is quite sharp, and its position on the tree trunk
helps show this is a woodpecker. This bird could either be a sapsucker
or a woodpecker. Because of this bird’s wing, back and head patterns,
we know it is not an Acorn Woodpecker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Northern
Flicker, or any of the sapsuckers that live in Southern
California. There are many white lines on the back but no white spot
in the middle of the back, so this is a Nuttall’s or a Ladder-backed
Woodpecker, not a Downy or a Hairy Woodpecker. The fact that this bird
was photographed in North Hollywood means this is a Nuttall’s
Woodpecker — Ladder-backed Woodpeckers would be very unusual in this
location.
Congratulations to Thomas L., Charles, Ben, and Adrian for figuring out
Nuttall’s Woodpecker!
