The Red-headed Woodpecker
The red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), 2024
7.06” x 5.75” x 3.63”
Hand Painted Acrylic on recycled cigar box with Satin varnish
Red-headed Woodpeckers breed from late April to early July. The males attract females by establishing a potential nesting site and drumming to attract a female. This is often a dead tree or a dead part of a living tree, but they are capable of excavating holes into solid wood through an initial crack. The male does most of the excavating of the cavity. Unlike many other woodpeckers, the red-headed woodpecker may reuse the same nest cavity multiple years in a row. If the female accepts the male and nesting site, she will participate in mutual tapping of her beak. She may also show her interest by reverse mounting onto the back of the male or preening near the opening of the nest. Sometimes potential mates participate in hide and seek around stumps and poles. They also perform bobbing displays while drooping their wings and holding their tails at an angle. Both males and females will fight off intruders near their nesting cavity. Females lay between 3-10 eggs in a clutch and both parents incubate them for 12-14 days. The young are fed by both parents
The red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), 2024
7.06” x 5.75” x 3.63”
Hand Painted Acrylic on recycled cigar box with Satin varnish
Red-headed Woodpeckers breed from late April to early July. The males attract females by establishing a potential nesting site and drumming to attract a female. This is often a dead tree or a dead part of a living tree, but they are capable of excavating holes into solid wood through an initial crack. The male does most of the excavating of the cavity. Unlike many other woodpeckers, the red-headed woodpecker may reuse the same nest cavity multiple years in a row. If the female accepts the male and nesting site, she will participate in mutual tapping of her beak. She may also show her interest by reverse mounting onto the back of the male or preening near the opening of the nest. Sometimes potential mates participate in hide and seek around stumps and poles. They also perform bobbing displays while drooping their wings and holding their tails at an angle. Both males and females will fight off intruders near their nesting cavity. Females lay between 3-10 eggs in a clutch and both parents incubate them for 12-14 days. The young are fed by both parents
The red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), 2024
7.06” x 5.75” x 3.63”
Hand Painted Acrylic on recycled cigar box with Satin varnish
Red-headed Woodpeckers breed from late April to early July. The males attract females by establishing a potential nesting site and drumming to attract a female. This is often a dead tree or a dead part of a living tree, but they are capable of excavating holes into solid wood through an initial crack. The male does most of the excavating of the cavity. Unlike many other woodpeckers, the red-headed woodpecker may reuse the same nest cavity multiple years in a row. If the female accepts the male and nesting site, she will participate in mutual tapping of her beak. She may also show her interest by reverse mounting onto the back of the male or preening near the opening of the nest. Sometimes potential mates participate in hide and seek around stumps and poles. They also perform bobbing displays while drooping their wings and holding their tails at an angle. Both males and females will fight off intruders near their nesting cavity. Females lay between 3-10 eggs in a clutch and both parents incubate them for 12-14 days. The young are fed by both parents