Yesterday at work I saw a woodpecker. I got closer and saw that it was huge. It was the size of large parrot. I got closer and my first thought was that it looked like the ivory billed woodpecker that was found in Arkansas earlier this year, but then I thought that's crazy, there's no way it could be one of them. I took some pics and this is the only one that shows the bird at all.
I took the pic with my phone and I knew it would be any help to identify it, so I made as many mental notes about it as I could. The mental notes I made were the size, red crest on a black head, and a white line running from mid body to the head.
I forgot to look it up last night so I did it tonight when I got home. The only two birds that I can find that looks even close to it are Ivory-bill or Pileated woodpeckers.
The first thing I did was typed "woodpecker North Carolina" in google. I was very surprised to see the fist thing that popped up was Ivory billed woodpecker. I clicked on the link and ford this pic and map.
Where I saw this bird is less than 50 miles of the Santee River and well within the range of the map.
I wanted to look at other options so I kept looking to se if there was any other bird that looked like what I saw. That's when I found pics of the Pileated Woodpecker. I also found that the Pileated Woodpecker is native to this area.
I am not sure which one I saw. After all of my research online I can't rule out that it's an Ivory bill, but considering the chances of it being one is very remote, I'm leaning towards Pileated Woodpecker. Even though the markings that I remember lean towards the Ivory bill.
Any thoughts?
I took the pic with my phone and I knew it would be any help to identify it, so I made as many mental notes about it as I could. The mental notes I made were the size, red crest on a black head, and a white line running from mid body to the head.
I forgot to look it up last night so I did it tonight when I got home. The only two birds that I can find that looks even close to it are Ivory-bill or Pileated woodpeckers.
The first thing I did was typed "woodpecker North Carolina" in google. I was very surprised to see the fist thing that popped up was Ivory billed woodpecker. I clicked on the link and ford this pic and map.
[b said:Quote[/b] ]1. Atchafalaya Basin (Louisiana)
2. Santee River (South Carolina)
3. Altamaha River (Georgia)
4. Yazoo River (Mississippi)
5. Pascagoula River (Mississippi)
6. Suwannee/Withiacoochee/Ochloconee Rivers (Florida)
Where I saw this bird is less than 50 miles of the Santee River and well within the range of the map.
I wanted to look at other options so I kept looking to se if there was any other bird that looked like what I saw. That's when I found pics of the Pileated Woodpecker. I also found that the Pileated Woodpecker is native to this area.
I am not sure which one I saw. After all of my research online I can't rule out that it's an Ivory bill, but considering the chances of it being one is very remote, I'm leaning towards Pileated Woodpecker. Even though the markings that I remember lean towards the Ivory bill.
Any thoughts?