Of birds and hyphenation

I got all excited yesterday afternoon when this woodpecker appeared at the feeder. I'd never before seen this particular species in our yard. My pulse quickened. I consulted my trusty A Guide to Field Identification Birds of North America. 

Ah ha! It looked to be a Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Only problem was, Ladder-backs are  indigenous to Mexico, and they're non-migratory.

That didn't stop me. I was convinced this was a female Ladder-back. It had all the required features: red spot at base of beak, well-defined red "hat," striped back, buff-colored belly. Yes, this must be a Ladderback.

I pictured the press beating down my door. I pictured the bird and me featured on the front page of tomorrow's paper. I pictured fame. I pictured glory.

Then I decided I'd better contact the Maine Audubon Society. They'd want to know a bird native to Mexico had not only come to Maine, had not only come to my yard, but had done so during the coldest temperatures known to Maine in the past five years. This was truly remarkable.

I sent an e-mail to Maine Audubon. A nice gentleman replied immediately, saying Ladderbacks live in Mexico and do not migrate. I knew this already, but I figured I'd give him the shock of his life when my sighting was confirmed. He tried to tell me the woodpecker was likely a hairy or a downy. I knew he was wrong: we have those at the feeders constantly, and I know 'em when I see 'em.

I told the Audubon gentleman that I could send photos of the bird. He said he's like to see them.

Then he sent this response:  Ah ha! It is a female Red-bellied Woodpecker! Normally a more southerly species, hundreds of Red-bellied Woodpeckers migrated into Maine late this fall. It is not clear why, but reduced acorn crop to our south a lot of people are suggesting. Good bird for Maine, uncommon but increasingly less so.

So that's that. No picture in the newspaper, but a darned pretty bird, just the same. She's been back at the feeder again this morning.

But here's the part that really amazes me: The Audubon guy knows that when a compound proper noun is hyphenated (e.g., Red-bellied), only the first word of the two is capitalized. That blows my socks off.