Birds of the Adirondacks:
Adirondack Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers are member of the Picidae family found mainly in wooded habitats.

• These birds nest in holes excavated from tree trunks and forage for insect prey on the branches and trunks of trees. They are usually seen climbing up tree trunks vertically, using a technique known as hitching.
• Woodpeckers have a narrower range of songs and calls than passerine birds. Their calls tend to be simpler in structure and used by both sexes.  Most species of woodpeckers also use a form of non-vocal communication called drumming – a sound created when the bird strikes its bill repeatedly and rapidly on a hard surface.
• Most woodpeckers are resident birds that do not migrate; the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is an exception.

Most woodpeckers have distinctive structural features, such as a long, stiff tail for bracing against tree trunks and a head designed to withstand repeated hammering against hard surfaces. They also have strong bills used for drilling on trees and long, sticky tongues for extracting the insects and larvae found there.

Woodpeckers serve important ecological roles in a healthy woodland.

• The most important service they provide to other organisms is that of providing housing. Woodpeckers nests and roost cavities are used as nest sites and shelter for more than 40 species of North American birds, as well as small mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates. Bird species that use woodpecker cavities include swallows, chickadees, wrens, and flycatchers. Mammals species that benefit from woodpecker construction include Red Squirrels, American Martens, Raccoons, and Fishers.
• Woodpecker activity also provides food for other wildlife. Sap wells created by Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, for example, provides nutrition for other birds (such as hummingbirds, kinglets, finches), butterflies (such as Mourning Cloaks and Eastern Commas), and mammals (such as Eastern Chipmunks and Red Squirrels). Woodpeckers also provide food in the bark chips they leave when foraging.
• Woodpeckers play a key role in insect control. The Red-bellied Woodpecker, for example, is attracted to ash trees afflicted with the emerald ash borer and can consume a large percentage of beetle larvae in affected trees. Black-backed Woodpeckers, American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, and Downy Woodpeckers respond to bark- and wood-boring beetle infestations, prolonging the lives of trees by eating the insects that infest them.

Woodpecker Species

Nine woodpecker species are listed in The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State as possible, probable, or confirmed breeders in the Adirondack Park.

• Five species of woodpecker breed throughout most of New York State, including within the Blue Line: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, and Pileated Woodpecker.
• Two species breed in New York State, but are limited to breeding sites in the Adirondacks: Black-backed Woodpecker and American Three-toed Woodpecker.
• Red-bellied Woodpeckers are on the northern edge of their range in New York State; they breed primarily outside of the Adirondack Park. Previous New York State breeding bird surveys found that breeding Red-bellied Woodpeckers are fairly abundant downstate, but the few breeding pairs found within the Blue Line are mainly in the warmer Champlain Valley. Preliminary findings from the 2020-2024 Breeding Bird Atlas are consistent with earlier data.
• Red-headed Woodpeckers are also on the northeastern edge of their range in New York State, and their population is in decline. There were a few possible breeding blocks in the Adirondack Park in the 1980 and 2000 breeding bird surveys, but almost all of the relatively few possible, probable, and confirmed sites were outside the Blue Line. There are no reports of breeding activity by this woodpecker within the Blue Line from the first two years of the 2020-2024 Breeding Bird Atlas.

Northern Flicker

Birds of the Adirondacks: Northern Flickers are brown birds spotted with black. Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) near the Cemetery Road Wetlands (19 April 2021).

The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a widespread woodpecker found in diverse woodland habitats throughout North America. It is a member of the genus Colaptes; many of the birds in this genus are more terrestrial than most woodpeckers. As with some other species, body size increases northward.

There are two forms of the Northern Flicker: the red-shafted form found in western North America and the yellow-shafted form which occurs in eastern North America. Ours is the yellow-shafted form. The two forms were once considered separate species. They commonly interbreed where their ranges overlap. There are also ten recognized subspecies of the Northern Flicker; ours is the Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus luteus).

Northern Flicker – Identification: Northern Flickers are brown birds, with a slim, rounded head with a gray nape and crown set off by a bright red spot on the nape. Northern Flickers have black bars on the back and wings and a black-spotted off-white breast and belly with a black crescent on the upper breast, most visible when the bird is facing you. This woodpecker has dark brown tail feathers and a white rump. The long, flared tail tapers to a point. The white rump is conspicuous in flight. This woodpecker has a slightly decurved bill.

• Male Northern Flickers have a peachy-brown face with a black whisker. The nape is gray with a red spot. The buffy underparts are spotted with black. The flight and tail feathers have yellow shafts, which are visible in flight.
• Female Northern Flickers, which are slightly smaller, lack the black mustache spot of the males.
• Juveniles are similar, with somewhat duller colors.

The only other species seen in our area that is similar to the Northern Flicker is the Red-bellied Woodpecker, which is sometimes seen in the warmer Champlain Valley. However, the Red-bellied Woodpecker has a black-and-white barred back and red nape, contrasting with the Northern Flicker’s black-and-brown barred back and gray nape.

Northern Flicker – Sounds: Northern Flickers are quite vocal, with a diverse repertoire of sounds.

• Their most familiar vocalization, heard in the early part of breeding season, is the long call: a loud, rolling rattle lasting seven or eight seconds. It is similar to the piping call of the Pileated Woodpecker, but the Pileated’s call is somewhat shorter and tends to be less even in tone and rhythm.
• Northern Flicker’s also make a loud, single-noted “kyeer” call.
• Another distinctive vocalization is the Northern Flicker’s “wick-a, wick-a” call, often heard when the birds are close to each other.

Northern Flicker – Migration: The Northern Flicker is considered to be a resident or short-distance migrant. Birds in the northern part of the range migrate to the southern part, while southern birds are usually permanent residents. In southern Canada and the northern US, most flickers start to migrate in September and October, with some remaining during mild winters.

This pattern is reflected in Northern Flicker sightings in the Adirondack Park.

• Most of the flickers in the interior Adirondack region leave in the late autumn for warmer parts of their range, while others spend the winter in the warmer Champlain Valley area or on the margins of the Park.
• The peak spring migration back is from late March to early April. By the end of April, most Northern Flickers will have returned to the interior Adirondack uplands, eager to find a mate and start a family.

Northern Flicker – Diet: The Northern Flicker's diet consists of insects, primarily ants, which it finds by probing and hammering the soil with its powerful bill and then lapping them up with its long barbed tongue. For that reason, Northern Flickers, which are more terrestrial in feeding habits than other woodpeckers, are usually seen on the ground, in short grass or bare ground, usually near forest edges. The Northern Flicker diet shifts to include fruits in late fall and winter.

Northern Flicker – Breeding: Like other woodpeckers, Northern Flickers nest in holes in trees, usually in dead or diseased tree trunks or large branches in open woodlands. Northern Flickers are usually socially monogamous. Both sexes help with nest construction. The pair bond is generally maintained through the breeding season. The pair shares parental care at all stages, although the male does more care especially during the early stages.

Northern Flicker – Distribution and Habitat: The Northern Flicker breeds across North America, from the northern edge of the boreal forest, south to Mexico and Central America. It is considered a habitat generalist in some respects, favoring open woodlands, forest edges, and open fields with scattered trees. However, this species is also found in urban and suburban settings, flooded swamps, and marsh edges.

Pileated Woodpecker

Birds of the Adirondacks: Pileated Woodpeckers are large birds with a bright red crest. Pileated Woodpecker on the Lake Colby Railroad Tracks (12 August 2020).

The Pileated Woodpecker is our largest woodpecker – an easily identifiable, crow-sized black bird with a bright red crest. Pileated Woodpeckers are considered to be a keystone species, because (like American Beaver, another keystone species) they play a vital ecological role, modifying the habitat in several ways:

• Pileated Woodpeckers are primary cavity excavators, providing nesting and roosting habitat for secondary cavity users. Pileated Woodpeckers create cavities to nest, roost, and forage. A wide array of bird and mammals species rely on these cavities for nesting, roosting, denning, and resting. At least 38 species of vertebrates use Pileated Woodpecker cavities, including squirrels, owls, American Martens, Fishers, and tree-nesting ducks (such as Common Mergansers).
• Pileated Woodpeckers excavate into sapwood and heartwood for invertebrate prey, providing foraging opportunities for other species.
• Pileated Woodpeckers accelerate wood decomposition and nutrient cycling by breaking apart wood as they excavate cavities and forage for prey.
• Pileated Woodpeckers help control insect populations, such as beetles.

Pileated Woodpecker – Identification: Pileated Woodpeckers are large woodpeckers with a dull black body, white stripes on the face and neck, and a red crest. This species is the only North American woodpecker with a crest. The bill is long with a broad tip. Viewed from below in flight, much of the underwing is white to grayish white. The wings appear very broad.

• Males are somewhat heavier than females. They also have a red cheek stripe.
• Females lack the red cheek stripe and their cap is smaller extending back from the top of the crown.  Their forehead is speckled dark brown.
• Juvenile Pileated Woodpeckers have a shorter red crest.  

There is some geographic variation, with size generally decreasing from north to south. Northern Pileated Woodpeckers have slightly longer wings and tails and a longer bill than Florida birds.

Pileated Woodpecker – Sounds: Pileated Woodpeckers are more often heard than seen. The majority of their vocalization occurs during courtship, announcing territory. Pileated Woodpeckers are best known for their loud, repeated series of cuk-cuk-cuk calls. The call is similar to that of a Northern Flicker, but tends to be lower and more wavering in pitch. 

Pileated Woodpeckers also communicate by nonvocal sounds. Their drum, used to proclaim a territory, is slow and deep, accelerating near the end.  Both sexes drum, although males drum more frequently than females. Pileated Woodpeckers drum throughout the year, but do so most frequently in early spring during courtship activities. Drumming is most frequent in the morning.

Pileated Woodpecker – Migration: Pileated Woodpeckers are generally nonmigratory. Populations in the northernmost part of their range may migrate further south, while those in mountainous regions may move to lower altitudes during nonbreeding seasons. Some inland populations may move toward the coasts after breeding. Pileated Woodpeckers are found in all seasons throughout New York State, including the Adirondacks.

Pileated Woodpecker – Diet: The Pileated Woodpecker’s diet is dominated by insects, with carpenter ants the primary food source. Pileated Woodpeckers also consume woodboring beetle larvae, wild fruits, and nuts. The menu shifts with the seasons as food availability changes, with carpenter ants dominating in winter, beetle larvae in early spring, a variety of insects in summer, and fruits in fall.

• The Pileated Woodpecker’s foraging technique is to excavate large rectangular or oval holes in trees and logs, using its long tongue and sticky saliva to catch and extract ants from tunnels.
• Pileated Woodpeckers also glean prey from branches and trunks. It is occasionally seen foraging on downed logs on the ground.
• This species reportedly will patronize suet feeders, assuming the feeder is constructed in such a way to support its long body.  However, it is less frequently seen at winter feeding stations than Hairy Woodpeckers or Downy Woodpeckers.

Pileated Woodpecker – Breeding: Pileated Woodpeckers are monogamous in the long term, possibly for life, although not all pairs maintain close contact in winter. The pair jointly defends its territory by drumming, calling, and chasing intruders. In New York State, Pileated Woodpeckers may start breeding as early as late March, with most breeding activity from early May through the first week in August.

Pileated Woodpecker pairs produce only one brood per season. They build their nests in dead or deteriorating live trees, usually in a mature or late-successional forest. Both sexes participate in nest building, although the male does most of the work. Nest completion takes up to six weeks. Old nest cavities are seldom used for nesting again, although they may be used as roost sites.

The female Pileated Woodpecker lays a clutch of about four eggs, with egg laying beginning soon after the nest cavity is completed. Both parents incubate the eggs and both brood the nestlings. The young depart the nest at 24 to 28 days. They usually stay in the parents’ territory for three to five months, dispersing in the fall.

Pileated Woodpecker – Distribution and Habitat: Pileated Woodpeckers are found throughout southern Canada, the Midwest and the East. Their range covers most of the eastern US west of the Great Plains from eastern North Dakota to eastern Texas, northward into southern Canada from Manitoba to the Atlantic.

• Within New York State, the first two breeding bird atlases found Pileated Woodpeckers in almost every county north of Westchester, although breeding birds were missing from the Coastal Lowlands, and there were some gaps in the western Adirondack Foothills, Sable Highlands, and agricultural regions around the Finger Lakes.
• Preliminary results from New York Breeding Bird Atlas III are roughly consistent with these earlier findings.

Pileated Woodpeckers breed in mature or late successional conifer, deciduous, or mixed forest. They can also be found in younger forests that have large, dead trees and in riparian habitats with large snags.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Birds of the Adirondacks: Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have a red forehead and crown and a black and white barred back. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) on the Heart Lake Trail (10 October 2018).

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) is a member of the genus Sphyrapicus – woodpeckers that feed primarily on the sap of trees. They create elaborate systems of sap wells, maintaining them on a daily basis. Like other sapsuckers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers play an important ecological role by providing food for other wildlife and creating nest cavities that provide nesting or roosting sites for other birds and certain mammals that cannot excavate their own.

There are four recognized species in this genus. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is the only member of this genus in our area; the others are found to the west of us. There are no recognized subspecies.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Identification: Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are a small to medium woodpecker with a black and white barred back. The relatively short, straight bill is chisel-tipped. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have a black bib on the upper breast (visible when the bird is facing you), a large white wing-patch, and prominent red forehead and crown. The crown is bordered in black. A black stripe borders the throat. The belly is buffy or pale yellow below the black breast patch.

• Adult males and females are similar in plumage and size. Males have a red crown and red throat, while females have a red crown and white throat.
• Juveniles, like their adult counterparts, have vertical white wing patches. However, they have a brownish wash over their bodies and a finely spotted crown.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker can be distinguished from the Downy Woodpecker and Hairy Woodpecker by size and plumage. 

• The Downy Woodpecker is a much smaller bird and has a white stripe down the middle of its back that Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers lack. In addition, the Downy Woodpecker lacks the sapsucker’s red crown and throat.
• The Hairy Woodpecker is slightly larger than the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The red on the male Hairy Woodpecker’s head is confined to the back of the head, in contrast to the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker’s crown of red. In addition, the Hairy Woodpecker has a large white patch running down the center of its back, in contrast to the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker’s white wing patch.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Sounds: The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker’s vocal behavior provides additional clues. This woodpecker has three basic calls: the whine, the chatter, and the squeal.

• The whine, its most recognizable call, is a repeated, squeaky nasal “meehhr,” descending in pitch.
• The chatter is a harsh, repeated, descending sound given when approaching other individuals.
• The squeal is emitted primarily by males in early breeding season to establish territory.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are quite vocal during breeding season. You will quickly discover if a sapsucker is nesting near you by the loud interaction calls given by the adults near the nest tree and the insistent begging calls of the nestlings.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Migration: The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is completely migratory. It is considered to be a complete, short- to medium-distance migrant. Although a few individuals remain throughout much of the winter in the southern part of the breeding range, most sapsuckers head farther south, going as far south as Panama.

• Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers depart their wintering grounds in late March and early April, arriving in our part of the Adirondacks in April and early May to find partners and rear families. The males arrive first to establish territories. The females arrive about a week later.
• Fall migration southward begins in late September, with females departing first. By mid-October, most of our Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers will have departed, with only a very few winter sightings along the warmer Lake Champlain coast.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers migrate at night, and are generally quiet during migration.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Diet: Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers eat sap, arthropods, and fruit. Sap, as its name implies, is a mainstay of its diet for much of the year. The sapsucker feeds by creating shallow holes (sap wells) in the bark of trees and consuming the sap that flows into them. Many other animals, including birds such as the Ruby-throated Hummingbird and butterflies like the Eastern Comma and Mourning Cloak, make use of these sap wells to feed on the sap or on the insects attracted to it.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Breeding: Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are cavity nesters. They reportedly are monogamous, often returning to the breeding site of the previous year, in many cases to the very same tree and the same cavity. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers favor deciduous trees, particularly aspen, for nesting.

• The male does most of the nest building. The female lays her eggs within a week of nest completion.
• The incubation period is 10 to 11 days; both parents incubate. Both parents feed the young.
• The nestlings fledge in 25 to 30 days. At six weeks, the young sapsuckers are able to drill sap wells; they tend to associate with one another and remain in the natal territory for up to six weeks.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Distribution and Habitat: Yellow-belled Sapsuckers breed across the northern part of North America, including large portions of Canada and the northeastern United States. Its breeding range extends from eastern Alaska to Newfoundland, south to southern Alberta, northern Iowa, and Pennsylvania, with disjunct populations in the Appalachian Mountains. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers breed throughout much of New York State, with concentrations in the Adirondacks and Catskills. 

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker’s breeding habitat includes young and medium-aged deciduous woods, mixed forests, and riparian zones. This species reportedly favors edge habitats and areas recovering from timber harvesting.

Downy Woodpecker

Birds of the Adirondacks: The diminutive Down Woodpecker is a black and white bird, with light underparts, a bold white stripe down the center of a black back, and a short, stubby bill. Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) near County Club Lane, Essex County, NY (13 November 2021).

The Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is the smallest of our North American woodpeckers, and also one of the most widespread. It is a year-round resident from coast to coast and a familiar customer at backyard bird feeders.

• The nonscientific name “Downy” is said to be a reference to the soft white feather on the white stripe that adorns its lower back.
• There are seven recognized subspecies; ours is the Eastern Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens pubescens/medianus).

The Downy Woodpecker is one of two members of the Dryobates genus found in the Adirondacks. The other is the Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus). Although Downy Woodpeckers closely resemble Hairy Woodpeckers, looking like a miniature version of them, the two species are not closely related. Their resemblance is said to be an example of convergent evolution: the process by which distantly related organisms evolve similar traits independently to adapt to similar needs.

Downy Woodpecker – Identification: Downy Woodpeckers are very small woodpeckers; in size they fall between a sparrow and a robin. Downy Woodpeckers are checkered in black and white. The blocky head is black with white stripes. The back is black, checkered white, with a bold white stripe down the center. The underparts are whitish.

• A key field mark is the Downy Woodpecker’s very short, stubby bill; it is shorter than the distance from the base of the bill to the back of the head.
• Another field mark is the tail; the central tail feathers are black and the white outer feathers are marked with a few black bars.
• Downy Woodpeckers in the east tend to be lighter than those in the West, who are darker with less white on the wings.

Male and female Down Woodpeckers are fairly similar in size and plumage.

• Male Downy Woodpeckers have a black and white striped head with a red nape.
• Female Downy Woodpeckers are similar, except that the nape is entirely black or black with white streaking.
• Juvenile Downy Woodpeckers of both sexes are duller than their adult counterparts. Juvenile males may have scattered red feather tips in the crown. They lack the red nape. Juvenile females are similar, except there is no or little red in the crown.

Downy Woodpeckers are very similar to Hairy Woodpeckers and are sometimes confused with them. Both species are checkered black and white, with a bold white stripe down the center of the back. In both species, the males have a red nape which the females lack. 

However, there are several key field marks that distinguish them

• Downy Woodpeckers are significantly smaller. They are about 2/3 the size of a Hairy Woodpecker.
• Downy Woodpecker have a short bill; the length of the bill is less than distance from the base of the bill to the back of the head. The Hairy Woodpecker’s bill, by contrast, is about as long or longer than the distance from the base of the bill to the back of the head.
• In the Downy Woodpecker, the white outer feathers on the tail are usually marked with a few black bars, while those of the Hairy Woodpecker are usually all white.
• Hairy Woodpeckers usually have a black shoulder spur that Downy Woodpeckers generally lack.
• The red nape patch on male Hairy Woodpeckers in eastern North America is often split into two sections, while that of Downy Woodpeckers is not divided.

Downy Woodpecker – Sounds: Sounds provide another key to identification. As with other woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers do not sing. They have a simple repertoire of calls, used by both males and females:

• The most commonly heard Downy Woodpecker call is a sharp “pik,” given singly or in a series.
• Downy Woodpeckers also give a rattle call, which is a descending whinny.
• Other calls sometimes heard during territorial encounters include sputtering or churring calls.

The Downy Woodpecker’s drum is a standard, even series of beats. Both sexes drum year-round.

Downy Woodpecker – Migration: Downy Woodpeckers are not migratory. Although some populations in the far north and at high populations move south seasonally, to lower elevations or to bird feeding stations, these woodpeckers are generally resident year-round throughout their range. Downy Woodpeckers are found in all seasons throughout New York State, including the Adirondacks.

Downy Woodpecker – Diet: The Downy Woodpecker is primarily insectivorous, but also feeds on seeds and berries. About a quarter of the Downy’s diet consists of plant material. Downy Woodpeckers are active foragers, moving incessantly to glean insects from bark and excavating prey living below the surfaces. Males forage more on smaller branches, while females focus on the less productive larger branches and trunks.

Downy Woodpeckers are frequent customers at winter feeding stations in the Adirondacks.

• They reportedly will come to hoppers and platform feeders for sunflower seeds and peanuts.
• Their preference, however, is for suet.
• Downies are fairly tolerant of human presence, and will continue feeding even when observers are in close proximity.

Downy Woodpecker – Breeding: Downy Woodpeckers are reported to be sexually monogamous, with pair formation usually taking place in early spring. Downies raise one brood per season. They usually nest in a dead stub of a living or dead tree, generally a deciduous tree found in more open forest. They lay a clutch of three to eight eggs, which hatch after an incubation period of 12 days. Both sexes are involved in incubating.

Both male and female Downy Woodpeckers participate in parental care after the young are hatched. Young Downy Woodpeckers fledge after 18 to 21 days. Parental care, however, extends several weeks beyond fledging.

Downy Woodpecker – Distribution and Habitat: Downy Woodpeckers are one of the most abundant woodpeckers in North America. Their range extends from the boreal tree line in Alaska and Canada south to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and west to southern California.

Downy Woodpeckers are found throughout New York State, including the Adirondacks, year round. However, they are more common outside the Blue Line than within.

• Previous New York State breeding bird surveys showed this woodpecker breeding throughout the state, missing only in high elevations in the Adirondacks and Appalachian Plateau.
• Preliminary findings from the more recent, ongoing New York State Breeding Bird Atlas (2020-2024) suggest that Downies breed throughout the state, with parts of Adirondacks missing.

Downy Woodpeckers use a variety of hardwood forests. This species prefers open woodlands or riparian areas. It is less common in dense forests or in conifers. They can also be found in mixed forests, especially those with a well-developed deciduous understory. Down Woodpeckers are adapt easily to developed area, including parks and urban areas.  

Hairy Woodpecker

Birds of the Adirondacks: Hairy Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized black and white woodpeckers. Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) on the Black Pond Trail at the Paul Smith's College VIC (6 November 2020).

Hairy Woodpeckers, one of the most widespread of North America’s birds, are among the most commonly observed woodpecker species in the Adirondack Park. Its name derives from the long, white feathers in the center of its back.

The Hairy Woodpecker’s taxonomic status, like that of a number of other birds, is currently in a state of flux. Most sources, including Birds of the World, place the Hairy Woodpecker in the Dryobates genus. However, a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2015 questioned that categorization, leading some taxonomic authorities to move the Hairy Woodpecker to the genus Leuconotopicus. The Integrated Taxonomic Information System has adopted this categorization; it identifies the Hairy Woodpecker as Leuconotopicus villosus. This change has not been accepted by the American Ornithological Society, which continues to assign the Hairy Woodpecker to the Dryobates genus.

Hairy Woodpecker – Identification: Hairy Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized black and white woodpeckers. Field marks include a large, chisel-like bill, which is usually nearly as long or longer than the depth of the head. The underparts are bright white or off-white. The back is black, barred with white, and marked by a prominent white stripe down the center. The face is black and white, with a white bar above and one below the eye. Another field mark, observable on most Hairy Woodpeckers, is the black shoulder spur, a black mark extending from the black line on the side of the neck onto the side of the chest.

Adult and juvenile Hairy Woodpeckers are quite similar in appearance.

• Male Hairy Woodpeckers have a patch of bright red on the back of the head (nape). In some birds east of the Rockies, this often takes the form of two side-by-side patches of red.
• Female Hairy Woodpeckers are slightly smaller than their male counterparts and lack the red patch on the back of the head.
• Juvenile Hairy Woodpeckers are similar to their adult counterparts. Juvenile males are somewhat duller, with white flecks on their foreheads and scattered red feather tips on the crown. Juvenile females are similar to juvenile males, but lack the reddish crown.

Hairy Woodpeckers vary widely in appearance, depending on region. Northern populations are larger than their southern counterparts. Mass also increases moving from lower to higher latitude. There are also regional variations in plumage. For instance, Hairy Woodpeckers east of the Rockies have lighter colored underparts than populations west of the Rockies.

Hairy Woodpeckers are sometimes confused with the smaller Downy Woodpecker. Both the Hairy and the Downy are black and white woodpeckers, with a white stripe down the center of the back. Both Hairy and Downy males have a red area on the nape (back of the head); this mark is absent in the females of both species.

Hairy Woodpeckers can be distinguished from Downy Woodpeckers by examining several field marks:

• Hairy Woodpeckers are significantly larger than Downies.
• The Hairy Woodpecker’s bill is about as long or longer than the distance from the base of the bill to the back of the head.  Downy Woodpeckers have a short, stubby bill; its bill length is less than distance from the base of the bill to the back of the head.
• The markings on the white outer tail feathers provide another clue. The Hairy Woodpecker’s white outer tail feathers are usually all white, while those of the Downy Woodpecker are often marked with black barring.
• Downy Woodpeckers usually lack the black shoulder spur found on many Hairy Woodpeckers.
• Although both male Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers have red nape patch, that of Hairy Woodpeckers (at least in eastern North America) is  often split into two sections. The nape patch on male Downy Woodpeckers is not divided.

Hairy Woodpecker – Sounds: Hairy Woodpeckers make a variety of sounds

• The Hairy Woodpecker’s most common call note is a single “peek” call, often given while perched or on the wing. It calls throughout the year. It is similar to, but lower and much louder than, the peek call of the Downy Woodpecker.
• Hairy Woodpeckers also have rattle call: a rapidly repeated series of notes given all year.
• The Hairy Woodpecker’s contact call, also given throughout the year, is a “wicka-wicka” call, somewhat similar to the calls given by the Northern Flicker. 

The Hairy Woodpecker also drums throughout the year. Drumming is done by both males and females and is given in territorial, courtship, or family communications.

Hairy Woodpecker – Migration: Hairy Woodpeckers are, for the most part, permanent residents throughout their breeding range. Populations in the northernmost part of their range may migrate further south, while those in mountainous regions may move to lower altitudes during nonbreeding seasons. Some inland populations may move toward the coasts after breeding. Hairy Woodpeckers are found in all seasons throughout New York State, including the Adirondacks.

Hairy Woodpecker – Diet: The Hairy Woodpecker’s diet is dominated by insects, both adults and larvae. Over 75% of its food intake consists of insects, primarily the larvae of beetles and ants and moth pupae, The remaining 20% or so is made up of fruits and seeds. Both male and female Hairy Woodpeckers forage on tree trunks and along large branches. They use their stiff tail feathers to brace themselves, hitching upwards and scaling the bark from trees by pecking or prying and excavating tunnels into the cambium.

Hairy Woodpeckers come readily to feeding stations in winter, with a distinct preference for suet. They reportedly will also come to peanut and black oil sunflower feeders.

Hairy Woodpecker – Breeding: Hairy Woodpeckers are monogamous in the long term, possibly for life. In some cases, the pair remains bonded throughout the year, while others separate in the fall, renewing the bond in the spring. Courtship displays include extension of the neck and rapid wing-flicking when members of the pair approach one another.

Hairy Woodpeckers typically begin excavating a nest two or three weeks before egg laying.  They place their nests in either snags or a live tree with fungal heart rot. Hairy Woodpeckers lay a clutch of three to seven eggs, with a mean clutch size of about 4 eggs. The incubation period is 11 to 12 days. Both parents brood and feed the nestlings.

The nestling period lasts from 28 to 30 days. After the young fledge, they remain almost completely dependent on their parents for food during the first week and may remain with their parents for one or two additional weeks.

Hairy Woodpecker – Distribution and Habitat: Hairy Woodpeckers have the most extensive range of any species in the genus Dryobates. Their range includes North and Central America from the boreal forests of Canada and central Alaska south to western Panama and northern Baja California and east to the northern Bahamas.

Hairy Woodpeckers are found throughout New York State, including the Adirondacks, year round.

• The first two New York State breeding bird surveys found this species throughout the state, with some missing blocks in the New York City area and parts of Long Island. Both atlases showed more scattered distribution in the western portions of the state.
• Preliminary findings from the current  New York State Breeding Bird Atlas (2020-2024) have found Hairy Woodpeckers in breeding blocks throughout the state, with missing blocks in the Adirondacks and western potions of the state.

Hairy Woodpeckers breed in a wide variety of habitats and elevations, but are said to prefer mature forests with medium to large trees. They are also found in wooded suburban areas.

Black-backed Woodpecker

Birds of the Adirondacks: Black-backed Woodpeckers are medium-sized woodpeckers with an inky black back and white underparts. Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) near Jones Pond, Franklin County, NY (12 May 2017).

The Black-backed Woodpecker is one of two species of woodpeckers that breed in New York State, but are limited to breeding sites inside the Blue Line. The other is the American Three-toed Woodpecker. Black-backed Woodpeckers and American Three-toed Woodpeckers have three toes on each foot; all other woodpecker species in North America have four. One hypothesis explaining this configuration is that it allows the bird to lean farther back and deliver harder blows to the tree.

Black-backed Woodpecker – Identification: Black-backed Woodpeckers are medium-sized woodpeckers. At about nine inches in length, this species is about the size of a Hairy Woodpecker. As the name implies, Black-backed Woodpeckers have an inky black back. The birds have white underparts and black barring on the sides and flanks. 

The head is nearly all black. There is a single white stripe below the eye from the bill to the nape. The bill has a gray upper mandible and paler gray lower mandible.  Each foot has only three toes. Two are directed forward. The third toe is directed backward.

• Males are slightly heavier than females, with slightly longer wings and tail. They also have a prominent yellow patch on the center of the crown.
• Females have a black crown, lacking the male’s yellow patch.
• Juvenile Black-backed Woodpeckers are similar to adults, but their plumage is duller. In males, the crown is dull black with a reduced or absent yellow patch; juvenile females are similar to their male counterparts but the central crown has few or no yellow-tipped feathers.

Geographic variation is minimal, although average body size is slightly larger in the west.

The Black-backed Woodpecker can be distinguished from American Three-toed Woodpeckers by its darker upperparts. American Three-toed Woodpeckers, by contrast, have a variable amount of white on the back. The male Black-backed Woodpecker has a smaller and more solidly yellow male crown path; male American Three-toed Woodpeckers have a slightly larger, streaked patch.

Black-backed Woodpecker – Sounds: Black-backed Woodpeckers emit three basic call types.

• Most commonly heard is a sharp call resembling the squeak of rubber-soled shoes on a wooden gym floor. This call note is used as a general alarm, or contact call.
• The Black-backed Woodpecker also emits a screechy rattle. This is given by both sexes throughout the year.
• Black-backed Woodpecker’s also use a scratch call composed of three of four harsh grating notes, typically given in breeding season to communicate with a mate or defend territory.

Black-backed Woodpeckers also communicate by drumming. Both males and females drum more often than most woodpeckers. The drumming tends to descend in pitch and increase in tempo toward the end.

Black-backed Woodpecker – Migration: Black-backed Woodpeckers have no regular latitudinal migration. However, irruptive movements in response to insect outbreaks have occurred, and some populations in the eastern portion of this woodpecker’s range have been known to make short-distance movements south of their breeding range. Black-backed Woodpeckers are found in all seasons in the Adirondack Park.

Black-backed Woodpecker – Diet: Black-backed Woodpeckers feed mainly on wood-boring beetle larvae. Vegetable foods (such as wild fruits, plant seeds, and mast) typically make up less than 15% of their diet. This species forages mainly on the trunks and large limbs of coniferous trees and logs, primarily those in the early stages of decay. There are no major sexual differences in foraging techniques or foraging sites, although females may favor smaller-diameter trees.

Black-backed Woodpecker – Breeding: Black-backed Woodpeckers are socially monogamous, with some pairs remaining together year-round. They nest in a variety of live and dead trees. Both sexes are involved in nest excavation, which typically takes place in April and May. In most cases, the birds excavate a new nest each year. Both parents incubate, and both brood the young. Fledgling depart the nest at about 24 days, but remain with one or the other parent for some time after fledging.  

Black-backed Woodpecker – Distribution and Habitat: The Black-backed Woodpecker’s range extends across Canada south of the treeline and east of the Pacific Coast Mountains. There are isolated populations in the Adirondacks, Black Hills, and the northern peninsula of Michigan.

Within New York State, Black-backed Woodpeckers are largely confined to the Adirondack Park.

• Both the first and second NY Breeding Bird Atlases found this species widely distributed over the Adirondacks, although missing in the more deciduous eastern Adirondack foothills or those parts of the central Adirondacks where hardwoods prevail.
• Preliminary results from New York Breeding Bird Atlas III are roughly consistent with these earlier findings.

Throughout their range, Black-backed Woodpeckers breed in recently burned forests between one and eight years old. In New York State, where this species is found primarily in the Adirondack Mountains, it favors mountain spruce-fir and spruce-fir-northern hardwood forests. Favored habitats include areas recently disturbed by fire, blowdowns, or disease. Other preferred areas include wet sites, such as beaver ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, and swamps.

References

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Birds of the Adirondack Park