Another woodpecker: the Pileated woodpecker. I've never seen one in real life, but they crack me up, with those red hats.
Actually, any bird with a crest (or any kind of raised feathers on the head) makes me smile... for no logical reason. Cockatoos, Peacocks, Harpy eagles, Harriers... I just can't help it. The crested birds are the ones that make me wish I were more of a birder, because those feathers/crests/topknots add a lot of character to an already fascinating group of animals.
We live right on the edge of the Pileated woodpecker's territory. They tend to live on the Western side of the state and closer to the Rockies, areas that are more heavily forested. The stiff tail feather shapes are pronounced, and according to the book I'm reading, the call of the Pileated woodpecker used to be used by Hollywood sound effects folks for jungle noises... which is weird, because these birds are definitely northern.
Doodled from a photo in the book I mentioned yesterday, Woodpeckers of North America.
