Woodpeckers of Northern North America
Seven Colorful, Charismatic Birds That Can Liven Up a Woodland Walk
Mar 23, 2009
Woodpeckers are a colorful, charismatic group of birds that can be found in wooded areas from the southern tip of Texas north to Canada and central Alaska. Because of their striking coloration and behavior, they are an easy group of birds to find and recognize with a good pair of binoculars and can brighten up a woodland walk.
The Drummers of the Bird World
Woodpeckers are consummate drummers. They tap on or drill into the wood of dead forest trees to find insects, mark their territory and to advertise their whereabouts to females. Different species knock on wood in distinct ways. For example, sapsuckers tap in a rhythmic pattern, making a line of holes from which they will drink sap.
Largest Woodpecker Is Loud, Crow-sized and Drills Rectangular Holes
The largest woodpecker is the pileated woodpecker (scientific name: Drycopes pileatus). This impressive bird will be found in older forests. It is about the size of a crow, with a black back , a bright, pointed red crest and a long tail. The underside of each wing is white with a black border. This woodpecker raps loudly but only once or twice per minute. The large holes it makes in dead trees have a distinctive rectangular shape.
Smallest Woodpecker Is Sparrow-sized and a Rapid Drummer
The smallest woodpecker is the downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) . It is roughly the size of a sparrow. Like most woodpeckers, its feathers are strikingly patterned with black and white stripes. Eastern adult males also have a small red patch on the back of the head. This little woodpecker raps every few seconds.
Seven Different Kinds of Woodpeckers Common in the North
Woodpeckers are all in the scientific family of birds called Picidae. There are 22 different species of them in North America. Seven species are widespread in Canada and the northern United States:
- Downy woodpecker
- Hairy woodpecker
- Yellow-bellied sapsucker
- Three-toed woodpecker
- Black-backed woodpecker
- Northern flicker
- Pileated woodpecker
The hairy woodpecker is very similar to the downy woodpecker, except it is larger -- just a little smaller than a robin, has a longer beak and lacks the small black spots on the white wing feathers that the downy woodpecker has.
The yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) is about the size of a starling. It is striped black and white. Adult males have a red-capped head, a red throat with a black border, and a yellow belly that is visible in flight.
The three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) is also about the size of a starling. Adult males have a bright yellow spot on the top of the head.
The black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) is a little larger, about the size of a robin. As the name implies, it has a back that is all black. Adult males of this species also have a yellow spot on the head.
Both the three-toed and the black-backed woodpecker occur in large numbers in areas where there is a preponderance of dead trees and insects, such as after a forest fire or major infestation.
The northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a large, flashy bird the size of a pigeon. It has a longer, slightly downward-curving beak, and an unmistakable pattern of brown and grey feathers with black and white stripes. In flight, the tail feathers reveal a broad patch of white. The undersides of the wings of the adult male are yellow and it has a red spot on the back or the sides of the head. It feeds on ants and is often seen on the ground.
Field Guides and Cornell Ornithology Lab Provide More Information
More information about woodpeckers and how to identify them can be found in field guides such as The Sibley's Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley and on All About Birds, the free, comprehensive, online bird guide created by the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
