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Gila woodpecker        Images © Mark A. Chappell

Gila woodpeckers are very common, and very obvious, in the southwestern deserts of North America.   Their loud calls are characteristic, and their holes (frequently drilled in saguaro cactus) provide homes for many other hole-nesting birds.   These males (identified by their red caps) and females were photographed near Tucson and Green Valley, Arizona.

  • Canon 10D or 1D4, 500 mm f4 IS lens + 1.4X converter or 800 mm IS lens + 1.4X converter, fill-in flash (2006, 2011, 2012, 2013)