Common Name: Lewis’s Woodpecker
Scientific Name: Melanerpes lewis
Order/Family: Piciformes/Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Description: One of the largest species of American woodpeckers, Lewis’s woodpecker can measure up to 10–11 inches (25–28 cm) in length. It is mainly reddish-breasted, blackish-green in color with a black rump. It has a gray collar and upper breast, with a pinkish belly, and a red face. The wings are much broader than those of other woodpeckers, and it flies at a much more sluggish pace with slow, but even flaps similar to those of a crow.
Distribution: It ranges mostly in the western to central United States, but can winter as far south as the US border with Mexico and summer as far north as Canada. Lewis’s woodpecker is uncommon around Las Vegas, seen mostly in the spring.
Habitat: It dwells mostly in open woodlands, and other areas with scattered trees and snags. Unlike other American woodpeckers, it enjoys sitting in the open as opposed to sitting in heavy tree cover.
