Red-bellied Woodpecker on a Coconut Palm Tree
by Catherine Sherman
Title
Red-bellied Woodpecker on a Coconut Palm Tree
Artist
Catherine Sherman
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
'Red-bellied Woodpecker on a Coconut Palm Tree in Marathon, Florida" by Catherine Sherman.
A red-bellied woodpecker rests for several minutes in the shade of the fronds of a coconut palm tree in Marathon, Florida.
The red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae. It breeds mainly in the eastern United States, ranging as far south as Texas and Florida and as far north as Canada. Its common name is somewhat misleading, as the most prominent red part of its plumage is on the head.
The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae). The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut" can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which botanically is a drupe, not a nut. The term is derived from the 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish word coco meaning "head" or "skull" after the three indentations on the coconut shell that resemble facial features.
Coconuts are known for their versatility of uses, ranging from food, building materials to cosmetics. And not the least, shade and a place to rest for a woodpecker.
Uploaded
March 6th, 2019
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