Three-toed Woodpecker Three-toed Woodpecker is found in the higher mountains of New Mexico, almost statewide. The species is uncommon at best. You generally have to get into the spruce-fir or fir zones to find the birds in the breeding season (i.e. higher than 8000 ft.). Birds have been reported from the Sangre de Cristos Mts., the Jemez Mts., the San Juan Mts., and more recently the Zuni Mts. with some regularity. More rarely and southerly, the species has been reported from the Sandia Mts, the Manzano Mts., Mt. Taylor, the Chuska Mts., the Tularosa Mts., the Mogollons, the Pinos Altos Mts., the Black Range, the White Range, and the Sacramento Mts. The current (1996-pres) hot spot and "sure thing" is the Dome Burn area in the Jemez Mts. To reach this area, take NM-4 west from White Rock (or NM-502 west form Los Alamos to NM-4) to Forest Road 289. From the map, it looks to be 5-6 miles from junction of NM-502 and NM-4 to the FR-289 turn-off (marked with a forest service sign). NM-289 is closed for winter from the first major snow (usually sometime in November) through the first of May. Turn south on FR-289 and go about 2.4 miles to the Santa Fe National Forest boundary. Once you enter the National Forest, the second left (100-300 yards, actually still FR-289) takes you about 3/4 mile southeast to the burn area The precise distance from NM-4 to the burn area is 3.1 miles. The burn is now several years old, so may not be starkly obvious. A new area is the recent (2000) burn area to the west of Los Alamos, birds are being seen along the road to the Pajarito Ski Basin and at the Apache Spring trailhead on NM-4, both in Los Alamos Co.. Unless otherwise noted, all original material in this page copyright 1998 by Jerry R. Oldenettel, All Rights Reserved |