This is Bird Note.

Red-headed woodpeckers have mastered the art of high-contrast fashion.

As their name suggests, both males and females flaunt deep crimson head feathers.

Their clean white body feathers are offset by

large patches of ink black feathers on their neck, wings, and tail. That bold, color-blocking

pattern is why these woodpeckers are sometimes called flying checkerboards. Red-headed woodpeckers have lived in open woodlands east of the Rocky Mountains for more than 2 million years, according to fossil records.

They used to be one of the most abundant woodpecker species in the U.S., but their populations have been declining for decades,

likely due to loss of sufficient dead-standing trees where they build

their cavity nests. Red-headed woodpeckers are one of only a few woodpecker species known to store

food for later. They'll cache fruits, seeds, and even live grasshoppers within natural cracks and

crevices, going so far as to hide their

horde under bark and leaves from would-be thieves.

Clever birds.

For bird note, I'm Ariana Rimmel.

This episode is dedicated to Bob Goodale,

whose lifelong love for birds and nature continues to inspire.