Male Pale-billed Woodpecker Clinging to a Carara Tree

A male Pale-billed Woodpecker braces vertically against a pale trunk, its red crest and enormous ivory bill isolated beneath the forest canopy at Cerro Lodge and the Carara area in Costa Rica. The massive ivory bill, red crested head and finely barred back identify this powerful tropical forest woodpecker. The exposure of 1/80 sec, f/9 and ISO 1250 relies on the bird's brief stillness and stabilization, preserving plumage detail while allowing the surrounding forest to remain soft; the photograph was made in natural light without flash.