Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 10.2–11 in
26–28 cm - Wingspan
- 19.3–20.5 in
49–52 cm - Weight
- 3.1–4.9 oz
88–138 g
Other Names
- Pic de Lewis (French)
- Carpintero de Lewis (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Lewis's Woodpecker seldom, if ever, excavates wood for boring insects. Instead, it gleans insects from the tree surface, or most commonly, flycatches. It spends long periods of time watching for flying insects from the top of a pole or dead tree, and then flies out to catch them in flight.
Habitat
Open Woodland
Food
Insects
Nesting
Nest Placement
Cavity
Behavior
Aerial Forager
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations declining. On Audubon WatchList
Credits
- Tobalske, B. W. 1997. Lewis' Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis). In The Birds of North America, No. 284 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.