Woodpeckers and Allies

(Order: Piciformes)

Woodpeckers are heard more often then they are seen. In the wintertime, when most trees are bare, woodpeckers can be more easily spotted. They have special adaptations to enable them to drill into trees and other plants in search of food.

Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

The pileated woodpecker is the largest extant woodpecker in North America. It sports a brilliant red crown and drills loudly into trees. Its range covers much of the eastern half of the United States.

 

A Pileated Woodpecker with striking red crest and black-white plumage clings to a rough tree trunk.
Male Pileated Woodpecker displaying vivid red crest perched on a textured tree bark in nature.

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus varius
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker woodpecker clinging to tree bark showing red crown and spotted plumage.

Yellow bellied sapsuckers live in much of eastern North America. They carve wells into plants to feed off of their sap. They have a red crown and throat and an often hidden yellow belly.

Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens
A Downy Woodpecker clings to a lichen-covered tree trunk, displaying black and white plumage with a red patch.

The downy woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America. It appears similarly to a hairy woodpecker, although it has a shorter beak. Males have a red crown.

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinus
A red-bellied woodpecker with vibrant red cap perches on a tree branch against a soft blue background.

The red bellied woodpecker lives in the eastern USA. These woodpeckers have a red crown and a very subtle red belly.