Many people have replied to my woodpecker post and suggested that it was a juvenile red-headed woodpecker.  It very well might have been, but still the coloration did not match up with the internet photos or field guides.  The bird that I saw had a consistent light brown on its head, around its neck, and down the front of its chest.  These types of marks are more consistent with a red bellied woodpecker.  So the head and chest are typical of a red bellied and the back and tail are consistent with a red headed.  Do the species ever cross breed?



Spencer

------Original Message------

From: Spencer Ryan

Sender: Ohio Birds Listserv

To: Ohio Birds Listserv

ReplyTo: Spencer Ryan

Sent: Aug 30, 2008 9:57 PM

Subject: [Ohio-birds] I'd Help!



I saw a woodpecker today at Sandy Ridge in North Ridgeville and I can't find a good photo to I'd it in any of my field guides.  It had the size and body shape of a red-bellied woodpecker but it's entire head was light brown.  There was some zebra backed coloration on the middle third of his back but the bottom third had three very distinct black and white, horizontal stripes.  My field guide does not have a great photo of a juvenile red-bellied, but the three stripes on the tail are completely inconsistent with what I've seen on the internet.  Any suggestions on what I saw or any websites you can direct me to?  Thanks.



Spencer

Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel



______________________________________________________________________



Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.

Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.

Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.



You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:

http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS

Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]





Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel