Nuttall's Woodpecker

Dryobates nuttallii

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesWoodlandCavity nestSmall · 37 g

What the Nuttall's Woodpecker sounds like

Sonogram of the Nuttall's Woodpecker: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call · Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve, Santa Clara, California, United States · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Nuttall's Woodpecker: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call · McClellan Ranch Preserve, Santa Clara, California, United States · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

Nuttall's woodpecker has striped black and white patterned wings and tail feathers with white. Its undercarriage is a primarily white coat with a few spotted black regions. It has a black forehead with white streaks on the sides and an unbarred black region at the top of the back. Adult males have a distinguishable red crown which females do not. However, this physical feature is present in the juvenile of both sexes. Juvenile birds look nearly identical to adults, excluding that juveniles typically have some white color in the form of streaks on their heads. Voice: Vocalizations performed by Nuttall's woodpecker are considered to be not of any harmonic. Some vocalizations have been described: Call note: used between mated pairs to communicate their location to each other. Double call: same function as call note can but also be used as a low threat alarm call.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Nuttall's Woodpecker

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is April, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Nuttall's Woodpecker

Regular range

The map shades 2 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

About the Nuttall's Woodpecker

Nuttall's woodpecker is a species of woodpecker named after naturalist Thomas Nuttall in 1843. They are found in oak woodlands of California and are similar to the ladder-backed woodpecker in both genetics and appearance.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Downy Woodpecker vs Nuttall's Woodpecker · Ladder-backed Woodpecker vs Nuttall's Woodpecker · Lesser Spotted Woodpecker vs Nuttall's Woodpecker · Crimson-naped Woodpecker vs Nuttall's Woodpecker

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