Length: 8.7-9.4 in (22-24 cm)
Noisy birds, very common in the Catalina Foothills. Gila Woodpeckers are grayish brown birds with brilliant black-and-white barring on the wings, back, and tail. Males have a red patch in the center of the crown.They spend much of the day foraging in taller desert vegetation (saguaro cactus especially). They catch insects by pecking, gleaning, and probing, focusing on larger branches and trunks. In the morning and late afternoon they perch in conspicuous places, call frequently, and make short flights around their territories, often driving out other woodpeckers. They will come to your feeders if you provide them with suet and nuts. The holes you see in saguaro cacti are probably the nests of the Gila Woodpeckers. Abandoned nests are used by other birds including Elf Owls, Pygmy-Owls, flycatchers, Cactus Wrens.