Ask A Scientist© Zoology Archive

name      Stacy
status    other
age       20s

Question - I live in the southern Oklahoma town of Davis. I have seen
  a woodpecker that was over a foot long and approx. 3 inch wide. It was
dull in color but had a red head. My problem is no one believes that a
woodpecker of this size exists and I can not find any information online
to back up my story. What species of bird could I have seen? It was
pecking in a tree outside my parents home. Thanks.

Stacy,


Look up the Pileated Woodpecker. It can be up to 49 cm long and is found
in Eastern Oklahoma.




Steve Sample
York High School
Elmhurst, Illinois
60126
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Pileated woodpeckers, which are about the size of crows and black with red
heads, range through the eastern half of Oklahoma. I don't know how common
they are there.
J. Elliott
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