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Woodpeckers. We all have them. Unless you鈥檙e in Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar or Antarctica, that is. We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service want to introduce you to five of the most common woodpecker species in the United States. It鈥檚 time to get to know your peckers.
Pileated woodpecker
Woodpeckers come in a variety of sizes, each specialized in their own way. Bigger isn鈥檛 necessarily better, but we have to start somewhere. The pileated woodpecker is North America鈥檚 largest and possibly loudest woodpecker. They measure 15.8 to 19.3 inches long with a wingspan of 26 to 29.5 inches. Let that sink in 鈥� these woodpeckers are huge. Their loud calls can resemble a laugh, and their drumming produces a deep, powerful sound that you can feel from far away as you walk through forests. You may think these traits make them bold show-offs, but they鈥檙e actually quite shy and skittish. As they excavate dead and dying trees for carpenter ants, they leave large rectangular holes. Their former nest cavities offer shelter to a variety of other animals including bats, ducks, owls and even pine martens. Pileated woodpeckers can be found year-round in mature deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous woodlands across most of the eastern half of the U.S., parts of western states and much of Canada. Males have a red patch on the cheek while females have a black patch on the cheek.
Northern flicker
While woodpecker isn鈥檛 in their name, make no mistake 鈥� northern flickers are indeed woodpeckers. Sure, they often spend time foraging for ants on the ground 鈥� you don鈥檛 often see other woodpeckers on the ground. They鈥檒l even lie on the ground, allowing ants to crawl all over them. It may seem a little eccentric, but it utilizes the formic acid ants secrete to help control parasites. But wait, there鈥檚 more! Unlike most woodpeckers that look the same across their range, northern flickers bring something a bit more unique to the table. Northern flickers in the east have yellow shafts, while flickers in the west have red shafts. Stick with us, we're still talking about woodpeckers. A shaft is the central part of a feather. The different shaft colors give these woodpeckers very distinct looks from one half of the country to the other, especially while in flight. Both shaft varieties can be found in a broad zone across the west where the two forms interbreed, from southeastern Alaska and western Canada to the Texas panhandle. Measuring 11 to 12.2 inches long with a wingspan of 16.5 to 20.1 inches, northern flickers have some decent size to them. Northern flickers can be found in woodlands and along forest edges and open fields across much of the country year-round and across much of Alaska and Canada in the summer. Yellow-shafted males have a black patch on the cheek while red-shafted males have a red patch on the cheek. Both females lack this cheek coloring.
Red-bellied woodpecker
The red-bellied woodpecker can stick its tongue out nearly two inches beyond its beak. Sticky spit and a barbed tip help it grab prey from deep, narrow crevices. Measuring 9 to 10.5 inches long with a wingspan of 13 to 16.5 inches, red-bellied woodpeckers are similar in size to hairy woodpeckers. Just because they have red on their heads doesn鈥檛 mean you can call them red-headed woodpeckers 鈥� that's an entirely different species more deserving of the name with their solid red necks and heads. Although the red belly on the red-bellied woodpecker isn鈥檛 always easy to see, it is there if you look closely. Red-bellied woodpeckers can be found year-round in forests and wooded areas across much of the eastern half of the United States. Males have a red patch that spans from the beak to the back of the neck. Females have a red neck but lack a red crown.
Hairy woodpecker
Giggle all you want. The hairy woodpecker gets its name from the long, hair-like feathers on its back. Hairy woodpeckers measure 7.1 to 10.2 inches long with a wingspan of 13 to 16.1 inches. These woodpeckers will often perch with erect, straight backs on tree trunks and large branches. The hairy woodpecker looks like a large version of the downy woodpecker, but its beak is notably longer - about the same length as the depth of its head. Hairy woodpeckers aren鈥檛 quite as widespread as downy woodpeckers, but they can be found year-round in woodlands with medium to large trees across nearly every state and all but one Canadian province. Males have a red patch at the back of the head, but females do not.
Downy woodpecker
Last but not least, we have the downy woodpecker 鈥� the smallest, but most wide-spread woodpecker in North America. Measuring 5.5 to 6.7 inches long with a wingspan of 9.8 to 11.8 inches, this little woodpecker still packs a powerful punch. Downy woodpeckers often eat foods that larger woodpeckers can鈥檛 reach, including foraging for insects on smaller branches and even on or in the stems of plants. Insects make up most of their diet, but they鈥檒l also eat acorns, berries, grains, seeds and sometimes even nectar! The downy woodpecker looks like a miniature version of the hairy woodpecker, but its beak is notably shorter. Downy woodpeckers can be found year-round in open woodlands across much of Canada and in every state except Hawaii. Males have a red patch at the back of the head, but females do not.
