Woodpecker (Gila)

A conspicuous resident in the deserts of the Southwest and Mexico, the Gila Woodpecker is a characteristic bird of the saguaro cactus forests.

Populations may be slightly declining, threatened by competition for nest sites with European Starlings.

When a pair of Gila Woodpeckers excavates a nest hole in a saguaro cactus, it typically does not use it for several months. Drying time is required for the inner pulp of the cactus to form a solid casing around the cavity.

Photographed in the wild, Phoenix and Tucon, AZ