Ivory-billed Woodpecker

North American woodpeckers come in many sizes, from the the extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker and slightly smaller Pileated Woodpecker (below) to the small, well known Downy Woodpecker (see below), this is an amazing group of birds with a great
many species.

Six species are shown on this page, but Matt can do any of the woodpeckers of North America and the world.  His list of species
grows as clients make their special requests.

The idea of having a pileated woodpecker on the upright support of a mountain home was independently requested by two different clients.  A pileated woodpecker of the quality shown at the top of this page and below is $650.

The largest of all the woodpeckers, and one that was believed to be extinct until its rediscovery in April 2005, is the very large-billed Ivory-billed Woodpecker of the swamp forests of the southeast.  The price of the one shown below is $750.  Since its rediscovery
Matt has gotten three commissions for this species.

The Ivory-billed woodpecker carvings below are actually decoys made purposely for someone who will be spending up to two years searching for the species in the hope of getting good video evidence of its existence in South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana.  You will notice that the "feet" of the decoy consist of removable hardware to firmly attach it to a tree.

The carving on the left is also exaggerated in size and neck length, to serve as a superstimulus for the live woodpecker to better respond to.  Animal behavior (ethology) is the field of study for which Matt received his M.S. from the University of Wisconsin.  Designing a good decoy was a fun project for him.    The colors and pattern are what the birds will see and respond to; the precise arrangement is not as important as the general appearance.  Matt used different sources, hence the different arrangements.

Although not meant to be decorative they would serve well for that purpose as well.  A similar one, to use as a decoy or a for the home, would cost $300.  It differs from the decorative carving shown above in that there is much less time-consuming detail and no great effort made to smooth and fill in all the rough spots.  they do have raised wings and a somewhat detailed bill, however.
 
 
 

The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (below), is an endangered species of the Southeastern United States.  Below are shown carvings of
the male (left) and the female (right).  The female lacks the small red patch behind the eye.  The center photo shows the two together
as set up on a rustic supporting post of the client's vacation mountain home (the owl was done by Matt also).
 

The chicks in this photo were painstakingly and authentically painted to distinguish them from the very similar chicks of the closely related California quail.  Unfortunately, after the pains Matt took to do them correctly, the client proudly sent Matt a photo with the chicks repainted (completely wrong!) - an insult to Matt who is so careful about such things (PLEASE don't alter his work, it detracts from the value as well!).  Chicks (correctly painted) add to the price.

 

The Bob-White Quail shown below is also done in a folksy style.  Like the Gambol's quail above it is $85.  A finer style can be made for a higher cost for anyone who wants a more-realistic quail carving.