Spark bird

In the world of birding, the bird species that initially piqued your interest is known as your “spark bird.”

When my middling was in about the 3rd grade, I was taking her back to school after a dental appointment when I saw this enormous flame-topped woodpecker on a telephone pole. We had no idea what it was, but we decided we needed to find out. The bird flew into a local park, and we could see where it landed, so I parked the car and we got out. We trailed that bird from tree to tree for probably an hour before I remembered I was supposed to be taking my daughter back to school.

I didn’t know enough to tell when I saw my first pileated woodpecker, but now I know this one is female because males have a red cheek stripe in addition to the red crest. They feed by excavating dead wood and eating the grubs and insects they find inside, fishing them out with their long tongues.

I was late getting my daughter back to school that first afternoon we saw a pileated woodpecker…but it was worth it! It was a lovely afternoon, and I’ll always feel a little bit sentimental about these noisy redheads…because they’re my spark bird. ❤️