STILL WANTED:
Lewis’s Woodpecker
The Lewis’s Woodpecker or Melanerpes
lewis occurs throughout much of BC’s
Southern Interior, but is most abundant
in the Okanagan Valley. Federally, the
Lewis’s Woodpecker is considered to be
a threatened species due to its small
and locally distributed populations,
restricted range, and loss of habitat.
It is estimated that fewer than 1000
individuals occur in the province.
This bird has a glossy greenish-black
head, back, wings and tail, a rosy belly, grey collar and breast and
a red face. Its flight pattern is distinctive from other woodpeckers.
Lewis’s Woodpeckers fly slow and direct, similar to crows or jays, with
long glides and aerial manoeuvres. It nests in cavities of Ponderosa
Pine, Douglas Fir, or Cottonwood trees.
The nesting period of this migratory woodpecker is mid-June to mid/
late-July. We need your help in recording sightings and nest
trees of this rare woodpecker.
If you spot a Lewis’s Woodpecker or
identify a nest tree, please report it to the Wildlife Tree Stewardship
Program Coordinator, Lisa Scott, at 250-404-0115 or email her at
witsos@shaw.ca.
Thank you for the many reported sightings thus far. Please continue
to watch out for the Lewis’s Woodpecker throughout July and call or
email if you see one and/or their nest trees. Thank you very much!
source: Wildlife Tree Stewardship Program/2013
