Yesterday I mentioned that, in this part of the country, there are two common backyard species often confused with less common ones. I discussed the House Finch/Purple Finch mixup, but neglected to cite the other. That would be the Red Bellied Woodpecker (shown) which is frequently mistaken for a Red Headed Woodpecker. This is a confusion I can understand. The Red Bellied was poorly named. Only on close inspection can the pinkish coloration on the breast be detected. "Northern Red Crowned" might have been a better choice (there is a Red-Crowned in Central America.) But we are stuck with this name so long as the American Ornithological Union assigns it to melanerpes carolinus; and that means birdwatchers everywhere must be in teacher mode whenever a Red Bellied shows up. I can handle that.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A Little More Confusion
Yesterday I mentioned that, in this part of the country, there are two common backyard species often confused with less common ones. I discussed the House Finch/Purple Finch mixup, but neglected to cite the other. That would be the Red Bellied Woodpecker (shown) which is frequently mistaken for a Red Headed Woodpecker. This is a confusion I can understand. The Red Bellied was poorly named. Only on close inspection can the pinkish coloration on the breast be detected. "Northern Red Crowned" might have been a better choice (there is a Red-Crowned in Central America.) But we are stuck with this name so long as the American Ornithological Union assigns it to melanerpes carolinus; and that means birdwatchers everywhere must be in teacher mode whenever a Red Bellied shows up. I can handle that.
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