On May 29, 2025, at 9:47 AM, Steve Bouricius <bouricii@earthlink.net> wrote:
--Hello Friends,
To my great surprise, yesterday morning brought a Red-headed Woodpecker to the feeder areas around our mountain home. It is a first in my lifelong experience here. Peaceful Valley is along the Peak-to-Peak Highway on the Middle St. Vrain Creek (today it's a river!) at 8525 ft. elevation. The habitat is primarily Englemann spruce and subalpine fir with components of aspen, willow, alder, and Douglas fir. It's not where one would expect to find RHWO in Boulder County.
The second edition of the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas (2016) doesn't reference elevation as the first edition does, but I wonder if there are recent records of the species at higher elevations in spruce-fir habitat? Colorado Birds (1992) notes RHWO as a very rare visitor to the lower foothills and mountains with one point at ~8500 ft. and one point at 10,000 ft. There is a mention from 1910 of observations in Estes Park. Scott Rashid banded a handsome juvenile in Estes last fall.
Red-headed Woodpeckers are monomorphic, and Pyle (1997) indicates virtually no mensural difference between male and female.
The bird continues this morning, May 29. Other birds of interest are a Band-tailed Pigeon, and last week a Blue Jay remained for four days.
Cheers!
Steve Bouricius
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Steve & Deb Bouricius
50154 State Highway 72
Peaceful Valley
Lyons, CO 80540-8954
970-250-6161
Hummingbird Orchards Banding and Research Station
Peaceful Valley Field Station
NABC Certified Master Banders-Trainers
USGS Bird Banding Laboratory Permit 23198
CPW Scientific Collections License 25BD0834
AZGFD Scientific Activity License SP223726
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<Red-headed-Woodpecker-Peaceful-Valley-5-28-2025-r.jpg><Red-headed-Woodpecker-Peaceful-Valley-5-29-25.jpg><Red-headed-Woodpecker-Peaceful-Valley-5-29-2025.jpg>
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