Gila Woodpecker
Melanerpes uropygialis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusMelanerpes (Melanerpes Woodpeckers)
- SpeciesMelanerpes uropygialis (Gila Woodpecker)
About the Gila Woodpecker
The Gila woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the desert regions of the southwestern United States and western Mexico. In the U.S., they range through southeastern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico.
The back and wings of this bird are spotted and barred with a black and white zebra-like pattern. The neck, throat, belly and head are greyish-tan in color. The male has a small red cap on the top of the head. Females and juveniles birds are similar, but both lack the red cap of the adult male. White wing patches are prominent in flight. The dark tail has white bars on the central tail feathers. The birds range from 8–10 in (20–25 cm) in length.
This woodpecker's voice is a rolling churr sound. It also makes a yip yip yip sound and a kee-u, kee-u, kee-u sound. Its drum is long and steady. This woodpecker's habitat consists of low desert scrub typical of the Sonoran Desert, as well as arroyos (washes) and small towns. They build nests in holes made in saguaro cacti or mesquite trees. Cavities excavated by these woodpeckers in saguaro cacti (known as a... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
Lewis's Woodpecker
Melanerpes lewis
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Dryobates scalaris
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Gilded Flicker
Colaptes chrysoides
Red-naped Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus nuchalis
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Williamson's Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus thyroideus
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus ruber
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Gila Woodpecker in Saguaro National Park?
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Gila Woodpecker sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 59,905 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Gila Woodpecker in Saguaro National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Gila Woodpecker in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.