Red-headed Woodpecker
Sir David Attenborough presents the red-headed woodpecker found in North America.
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Sir David Attenborough presents the red-headed woodpecker found in North America. With its inky black wings, snow white body and crimson hood, the red-headed woodpecker is one of the most striking members of its family, a real 'flying checker-board'. This striking Woodpecker has an ancient past, fossil records go back 2 million years and the Cherokee Indians used this species as a war symbol. More recently and nestled amongst Longfellow's epic poem The Song of Hiawatha, the grateful Hiawatha gave the red headed woodpecker its red head in thanks for its service to him.
Producer : Andrew Dawes
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Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
Webpage image courtesy of Visuals Unlimited / naturepl.com
NPL Ref 01299255 © Visuals Unlimited / naturepl.com
Recording of red-headed woodpecker by Wilbur L Hershberger / Ref: ML 168035
This programme contains a wildtrack recording of the red-headed woodpecker kindly provided by The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology; recorded by Wilbur L Hershberger on 19 June 2011, West Virginia, USA.
Broadcasts
- Wed 17 Sep 201405:58BBC Radio 4
- Wed 30 Sep 201505:58BBC Radio 4
- Wed 15 Jul 202005:58BBC Radio 4
- Thu 14 Oct 202105:58BBC Radio 4
- Thu 7 Dec 202305:58BBC Radio 4
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