Birds of New Hampshire & Vermont Field Guide. Stan Tekiela
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but will mew like a cat. Unlike other woodpeckers, drumming rhythm is irregular.
female
male
Hairy Woodpecker
Picoides villosus
YEAR-ROUND
| Size: | 9" (22.5 cm) |
| Male: | A black-and-white woodpecker with a white belly. Black wings with rows of white spots. White stripe down the back. Long black bill. Red mark on back of head. |
| Female: | same as male, but lacks a red mark on head |
| Juvenile: | grayer version of female |
| Nest: | cavity; female and male excavate; 1 brood per year |
| Eggs: | 3-6; white without markings |
| Incubation: | 11-15 days; female and male incubate, female incubates during the day, male at night |
| Fledging: | 28-30 days; male and female feed young |
| Migration: | non-migrator |
| Food: | insects, nuts, seeds; will come to seed and suet feeders |
| Compare: | Larger than the Downy Woodpecker and has a longer bill that is nearly the width of its head. |
Stan’s Notes: A common woodpecker of wooded backyards that announces its arrival with a sharp chirp before landing on feeders. This bird is responsible for eating many destructive forest insects. Has a barbed tongue, which helps it extract insects from trees. Tiny bristle-like feathers at the base of bill protect the nostrils from wood dust. Drums on hollow logs, branches or stovepipes in spring to announce its territory. Often prefers to excavate nest cavities in live aspen trees. Has a larger, more oval-shaped cavity entrance than that of the Downy Woodpecker.
female
male
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
YEAR-ROUND
| Size: | 9¼" (23 cm) |
| Male: | “Zebra-backed” woodpecker with a white rump. Red crown extends down the nape of neck. Tan breast with a tinge of red on belly, which is often hard to see. |
| Female: | same as male, but has a light gray crown and red nape |
| Juvenile: | gray version of adults, lacks a red crown and red nape |
| Nest: | cavity; female and male excavate; 1 brood per year |
| Eggs: | 4-5; white without markings |
| Incubation: | 12-14 days; female and male incubate, female incubates during the day, male at night |
| Fledging: | 24-27 days; female and male feed young |
| Migration: | non-migrator; moves around to find food |
| Food: | insects, nuts, fruit; visits seed and suet feeders |
| Compare: | Similar to the Northern Flicker and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Note the tan chest and belly with obvious black-and- white stripes on the back. |
Stan’s Notes: Named for its easily overlooked rosy red belly patch. Mostly a bird of shady woodlands. Excavates holes in rotten wood, looking for spiders, centipedes and beetles. Will hammer acorns and berries into crevices of trees for winter food. Returns to the same tree to excavate a new nest below that of the previous year. Often kicked out of nest hole by European Starlings. Gives a loud “querrr” call and a low “chug-chug-chug.” Expanding its range all over the country.
breeding
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
MIGRATION
WINTER
| Size: | 11-12" (28-30 cm) |
| Male: | Striking black and white breeding plumage. Black belly, chest, sides, face and neck. White cap, nape of neck and belly near tail. Black legs and bill. |
| Female: | less black on belly and chest than male |
| Juvenile: | grayer than adults, with much less black |
| Nest: | ground; male and female construct; 1 brood per year |
| Eggs: | 3-4; pinkish or greenish, marked with blackish brown splotches |
| Incubation: | 26-27 days; male and female incubate, male incubates during the day, female at night |
| Fledging: | 35-45 days; male feeds young, young learn quickly to feed themselves |
| Migration: | complete, to southeastern New Hampshire, southern states, the Gulf Coast, West Indies, Mexico and Central and South America |
| Food: | insects |
| Compare: | A distinctive bird. Look for a black face, chest and belly, and a white cap and nape of neck. |
Stan’s Notes: Male performs “butterfly” courtship flights to attract females. Female leaves the male and young about 12 days after the eggs hatch. Begins breeding at 3 years of age. A winter resident along coastal New Hampshire and a migrator, seen across New Hampshire and Vermont. During flight, in any plumage, displays a white rump and stripe on the wings with black axillaries (armpits). Often darts across the ground to grab an insect and run.
male
Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
MIGRATION
WINTER
| Size: | 13-15" (33-38 cm) |
| Male: | A small duck with striking white sides and black back. Green purple head with a large white bonnet-like patch. |
| Female: | brown version of male, with a brown head and white patch on cheek, just behind eyes |
| Juvenile: | similar to female |
| Nest: | cavity; female lines an old woodpecker cavity; 1 brood per year |
| Eggs: | 8-10; ivory to olive without markings |
| Incubation: | 29-31 days; female incubates |
| Fledging: | 50-55 days; female leads young to food |
| Migration: | complete, to New Hampshire and Vermont, southern states, Mexico and Central America |
| Food: | aquatic insects |
| Compare: | A small black and white diving duck. Male Hooded Merganser is similar, but lacks the white sides of male Bufflehead. Look for the green purple head with a large white patch to help identify. |