Date sent:        Mon, 29 Jan 2001 19:11:22 -0500
To:               SE_MI-birdlist@umich.edu
Copies to:        
From:             "Brian Glass" <bglass@postofc.com>
Subject:          Red-bellied Woodpecker with unusually long bill 

On Sat. 1-20-01 I was in Cedar Bend park in the late morning with 
my wife Mary.  We were struck by the length of the bill of a male 
Red-bellied Woodpecker.  Our view was directly overhead - it was 
in the tree tops.  It looked so funny.  I thought at first it 
must have been holding an elongate object from one end giving the 
appearance of an extended bill.  But, no, it appeared to be all 
bill.  We had our eyes open on Sat. 1-27 at the same time of day, 
and there it was in the same general area.  This time it landed 
in the treetops some 300 feet away or so and I had it in 8X 
binocs against the total overcast sky for 3 minutes or so.  The 
bill is exceptionally long and decurved. 

A very rough idea is obtained if I take my impression that it was 
as long as the gape to nape distance and compare to a bird guide, 
say Robbins, et. al.  Doing this, it would seem the bill may be 
as much as 30% longer than normal.  Mary got a view of the bird 
on both occasions and was equally struck by its unusual 
appearance.  She is a sensitive observer, almost always seeing 
birds before I do.  Kind of a crazy thing to report, but I 
thought someone just might be interested.  It was seen with 
another Red-belly on at least the second occasion, so may be 
paired. 

Where:  Cedar Bend Nature Area is at the end of the paved portion 
of Island Drive.  Walk up the dirt extension of Island Drive 
around the hairpin turn and take the main (generally E-W trail) 
which starts just a bit above the hairpin (before you get to the 
arrow sign which warns of the curve ahead).  Take the trail until 
you enter an area of closer-spaced trees and more scrub.  The 
bird was seen in this area between the beginning of the closer 
spacing and the creek.  On the first occasion it was right in the 
heart of that area, the second it flew into that area from the 
north and east in tandem with the other Red-belly (that is it 
flew from the other more open areas of Cedar Bend which could 
include areas up to the border of North Campus). 

Brian Glass
Ann Arbor