Pope Francis, The Gila Woodpecker

He's a male Gila woodpecker. The female has no cap.

I forgot when I named him that the Pope wears a white cap and that it's the (Catholic or St. Louis) Cardinals who wear red ones. But then wouldn't it have been confusing if I had named this woodpecker, "Cardinal Francis?" What kind of bird would that have conjured up in minds?

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. He announces himself every time he lands on the hummingbird feeder. He must be getting to the nectar because he keeps coming back for more. And it looks like he may have muscled Zippy out of the way.

Its drum is long and steady. He is beating the heck out of something on my roof near the vent system, especially in the morning, because it vibrates throughout the house.

I never thought I would think of any birds as annoyances, but the Pope and his wife, Rosie the Riveter, are going to win that distinction.

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This was a quick shot through a screen door, so please excuse any fuzziness :-)