The Golden Crested Woodpecker

Elle’s inspiration

Here’s how we came to create Ordinary World’s magnificent Golden Crested Woodpecker. Recently my daughter Elle (the real life Elle, not the Ordinary World character) found my old bird book. She got a bit obsessed with trying to tick birds off at the back of the book like i did as a child. In particular she set her sights on seeing a Green Woodpecker, inspired by the fact we’d heard one when going for a run together early one morning.

I am happy to report that last weekend we finally found her elusive Green Woodpecker. We took a trip up to the RSPB headquarters in Sandy and managed to find not one but four. Elle got a little Green Woodpecker enamel badge to mark her achievement and she’s now moved on to the Little Egret.

Anyway during her obsession for the woodpecker she came up with a bird for Ordinary World, to add to the bestiary: The Golden Crested Woodpecker.

Developing Elle’s idea

So taking Elle’s idea I sketched around some different woodpecker shapes wanting to diversify what it might look like. Once I had a sketch I was happy with I would bring it back to being faithful to Elle’s original design. I also thought I would bring a bit of an homage to her Green Woodpecker into the design.

For those of you not familiar with Green Woodpeckers, go check them out on the RSPB website.

About the Golden Crested Woodpecker

Elle earmarked this beautiful bird as a rare creature, so I am designating it a rarity of 4 out of 5. It’s habitat is woodland and its diet consists of ants and grubs, larvae and caterpillars. I am thinking that some Ordinary World residents see the Golden Crested Woodpecker as a bit of a good omen. Perhaps the golden crest is a sign of good fortune. This is something to think over and establish later.

And here’s the finished bird…

Here’s what Elle has to say about the finished woodpecker:

“Its a beautiful rare bird, rarer than any woodpecker I can think of. It so needed to be known as something this good and powerful! I just LOVE IT!”

Leave your own thoughts in the comments section below. Also keep an eye out in future Ordinary World pictures and see if you can spot one in the trees.