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- Picoides scalaris
Identification
16.5 to 19 cm (6½ to 7½ inches) in length. Black and white, barred pattern on back and wings. Rump, breast and flanks speckled with black. Adult males have a red crown patch that is smaller in immatures and lacking in adult females. The bill is very sharp, straight, and black.
Distribution
South-western United States, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
Taxonomy
Placed in genus Dryobates by Gill and Donsker.
Habitat
Dry brushy areas and thickets.
Behaviour
They nest in cavities excavated from tree trunks. 2 and 7 plain white eggs are laid and incubated by both sexes. Diet includes insects and their larva, and also fruit produced by cacti.
