Red-headed Woodpecker

The Red-headed Woodpecker ('Melanerpes erythrocephalus') is a striking-looking species. My first time seeing one was in rural Ottawa during the winter of 2005-2006. I had only seen them rarely since then.

In 2018 the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) listed it as "ENDANGERED" in Canada. In Ontario, where the numbers are slightly higher than in other parts of the country it is only listed as a species of "SPECIAL CONCERN". This means that the species lives in the wild in Ontario, is not endangered or threatened, but may become threatened or endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.

Since late May I have visited a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers in rural Ottawa multiple times. The pair had excavated a nest and it was obvious that they would likely rear some young there. The location was very accessible and the birds and the nest and clearly visible from the road It was well know by birders and some photographers. It was reported on eBird repeatedly over the past few months.

I made a conscious decision to not post any images of the pair until the young had fledged.

To the human eye the bird's exit from the nest hole is so blazingly fast that you really can't tell what's happening. About 50% of the time a bird would start to stick its head out briefly before taking off. At other times there was no warning at all.
I am particularly pleased with this image because of the pose.

Image created in rural Ottawa on June 11, 2020. Cropped for composition as the birds were quite far away. Manual exposure. ISO 3200, 1/1000, F 6.3