I am excited to share my guide to the 9 Woodpeckers in Georgia. I have prepared custom-made identification images and gathered lots of information about every woodpecker species known to occur in the State of Georgia; including their calls. Let’s see what I have put together!
- Click-open the table of content below to jump to a species account, or scroll down and navigate this page.
- The largest and smallest Georgia woodpecker
- The nest cavity of woodpeckers
- What do woodpeckers eat?
- Most common and rarest woodpecker in Georgia?Â
- Woodpecker of the Georgia (Nine Species)
- #1. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- #2. Red-headed Woodpecker
- #3. Red-bellied Woodpecker
- #4. Downy Woodpecker
- #5. Hairy Woodpecker
- #6. Red-cockaded Woodpecker
- #7. Pileated Woodpecker
- #8. Northern Flicker
- #9. Ivory-billed Woodpecker
In Georgia, most woodpeckers have a combination of black, white, and red feathers. Males and females are distinguished by patches of red on the backs of their heads. Males have red patches, which are missing in the females.
The handsome red-headed woodpecker is an exception. It has a bright crimson head, and males and females are indistinguishable.
The largest and smallest Georgia woodpecker
The woodpeckers found in Georgia can be divided into four size groups based on their size. Both pileated woodpeckers (10.5 oz) and northern flickers (4.7 oz) are noticeably larger than the others.
Among the medium-sized woodpeckers are red-bellied, red-headed, and hairy woodpeckers, averaging 2.5 ounces in weight.
The small size group consists of yellow-bellied sapsuckers, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and downy woodpeckers. The minute downy woodpecker weighs about 0.8 ounces, making it the smallest of all woodpeckers.
There is a relatively small difference in size between the two smaller groups. In the field, size differences may not allow species to be distinguished reliably.
Table showing the individual weights and lengths of Georgia woodpeckers.
| Weight (ounces – oz) | Length (inches) | |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 10.5 | 17.5 |
| Northern Flicker | 4.7 | 11.6 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker | 2.6 2.6 2.4 | 9.4 8.3 8.6 |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-cockaded Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker | 1.7 1.6 0.8 | 7.5 8.5 6.1 |
The graph below illustrates the proportional difference in size among Georgia woodpeckers. The largest pileated woodpecker is 13.5 times bigger than the smallest, downy woodpecker.
The nest cavity of woodpeckers
Woodpeckers in Georgia have similar breeding habitats. In all species, the male and female excavate a nesting cavity in dead wood, incubate the eggs, and feed the young.
Excavating a new nesting cavity may take 2-3 weeks for woodpeckers that make them in dead wood. The red-cockaded woodpecker is the only one that excavates in life pine trees and may take up to a year to complete a cavity.
Interestingly, woodpeckers do not build a typical nest inside the cavity but lay the eggs in a bed of wood chips accumulated there during the excavation of the cavity.
Depending on the species, a female woodpecker lays from 2 -10 eggs where both parents incubate the egg during the day, but males always incubate during the night. The incubation period lasts only between nine and 14 days.
Size and shape of a woodpecker entrance hole
The measurements of the nesting cavity entrance hole, depth, and size of the chamber vary according to the woodpecker species.
It is possible to associate a nesting cavity to the species of woodpecker based on the shape and size of the cavity entrance hole. Pileated woodpeckers make large oval entrance holes while northern flickers make smaller semi-oval ones.
All other woodpeckers have smaller round cavity entrance holes that vary in diameter depending on the species.
Georgia woodpeckers do not reuse the same cavity the next breeding season but excavate a new one.
Red-cockaded woodpeckers are the only ones that reuse the same cavity for breeding or as roosting sites.
Most Georgia woodpeckers are monogamous. A breeding pair is composed of one male and one female.
The red-cockaded woodpecker is also monogamous but uses a cooperative breeding system. Only an alfa pair breeds yearly, assisted by multiple non-breeding male and female helpers. The helpers are siblings from earlier broods.
What do woodpeckers eat?
Georgia woodpeckers can be divided into 3 separate groups based on the food type and how they obtain it:
- Typical woodpeckers: include all woodpeckers except the flickers and sapsuckers. Typical woodpeckers hitch along trunks and branches where they peel off bark or drill into the wood for insects, beetles, or ant larvae.
- Flickers: In Georgia, this group includes only the northern flicker. Flickers differ from other woodpeckers in being mostly ground woodpeckers. Flickers have specialized in a diet consisting of mostly ants and ant larvae. Instead of pecking on wood, flickers peck on the ground at ant nests digging for the nutritious larvae found in ant colonies.
- Sapsuckers: include only the yellow-bellied sapsucker, which has specialized in a diet based on sap from trees. They drill rows of sap wells and consume not only the sap flowing out of the wells but also the insects attracted and trapped in the sap well. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers also peel off bark to find insects and supplement their diet with berries.
Most common and rarest woodpecker in Georgia?
The most common woodpecker in Georgia is by far the red-bellied woodpecker. They can be found in just about any habitat type and have adapted well to urban environments.
The two less numerous woodpeckers are the red-headed and red-cockaded woodpeckers. In the last few decades, the red-headed woodpecker has experienced a significant population decline. The causes for the decline are still poorly understood.
The rarest woodpecker in Georgia is the red-cockaded woodpecker. This bird is closely associated with old stands of long-leaf pine, most of which have been lost, leaving only a few intact stands.
The red-cockaded woodpeckers are currently considered a critically endangered species.
See also other Regional Guides to the Woodpeckers of North America
Woodpecker of the Georgia (Nine Species)
The following are the 9 woodpeckers that regularly occur in Georgia. Additional woodpecker species have been recorded in the state but are considered vagrants and are not included in this article.
The ivory-billed woodpecker occurred in most of the state. However, it is now considered an extinct species. Old hardwood forests were one of the last strongholds of this magnificent woodpecker. Sight records of the ivory-billed woodpecker emerge from time to time from parts of its former range. Yet no report has provided conclusive evidence.
- Monthly frequency/abundance: The monthly abundance bar for each species is based on the number of times it is reported on checklists submitted to eBird for the State of Georgia.
#1. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Identification: The yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) has a black and white back with a characteristic solid white wing patch. The belly is mostly white. Males have a red cap and throat while females have a white throat. Juveniles have a brownish-gray color pattern.
Food: The yellow-bellied sapsucker relies on sap as the main food source. It drills rows of sap wells into tree bark to harvest the content. It also eats ants and spiders and catches insects in the air. They also eat fruit.
Habitat: It favors hardwood and coniferous woodlands. It is fairly common in semi-open forested suburban areas.
Behavior: The yellow-bellied sapsucker clings to trunks and branches of trees, usually alone. It typically drills rows of sap wells into tree bark to obtain sap. Its typical drumming sounds like morse code.
Nest: Yellow-bellied sapsuckers excavate their cavities in dead wood. Cavities can be excavated in 2-3 weeks and are approximately 10 inches deep. The entrance hole is round, about 1.5 in diameter.
Breeding season: Yellow-bellied sapsucker breed in mid-May through mid-July.
Breeding period: This sapsucker lays 4-6 white round eggs. It takes about 40 days from egg-laying (incubation period 12 days, nestling period 28 days) until fledging.
Lifespan: Yellow-bellied sapsuckers live at least 7 years and 9 months.
How many are there?: The estimated number of yellow-bellied sapsuckers in North America is 14 million individuals.
#2. Red-headed Woodpecker
Identification: The red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) has an unmistakable plumage pattern. The head is crimson, the back is black with a solid band of white. The underparts are pure white. Male and female have the same plumage. Juveniles have brown heads.
Food: Red-headed woodpeckers have a mixed diet that includes invertebrates and plant-based food. They eat spiders, beetles, acorns, berries, and seeds.
Habitat: Red-head woodpeckers favor open and semi-open woodlands with short or clear understory. It also occurs in similar habitats in suburban areas.
Behavior: Red-headed woodpeckers perch on bare branches, snags, and utility poles they often use as a base for sallying out to catch insects. They are usually seen in pairs or family groups. In the fall, they collect nuts and acorns.
Nest: Red-headed woodpeckers can excavate a new cavity in about 2 weeks. Nest cavities are excavated in dead wood and are approximately 5 inches deep. They have a round entrance hole of about 2 inches in diameter.
Breeding season: Red-headed woodpeckers breed in mid-March through early September.
Breeding period: The red-headed woodpecker lays 3-10 white round eggs. It takes about 40 days from egg-laying (incubation period 12 days, nestling period 28 days) until fledging.
Lifespan: Red-headed woodpeckers live at least 9 years and 11 months.
How many are there?: The estimated number of red-headed woodpeckers in North America is 1.8 million.
#3. Red-bellied Woodpecker
Identification: The red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) has black and white barring on the back and wings and light warm brown on the sides of the head, breast, and belly. Males have red on the nape and crown, while females only on the nape.
Food: Red-bellied woodpeckers have a mixed diet that includes invertebrates and plant-based food. They eat spiders, beetles, acorns, berries, and seeds. They can even eat small lizards if they can catch them.
Habitat: The red-bellied woodpecker is the most widespread of all Georgia woodpeckers. It is found just about anywhere with trees, in deciduous woodlands and semi-open habitats. It is also common in forested suburban areas.
Behavior: Red-bellied woodpeckers hitch along trunks and branches of trees, usually alone. They do more picking at the bark to find insects than drilling into it. It has a characteristic undulating flight pattern.
Nest: Red-bellied woodpeckers excavate their cavities in dead wood. Nest cavities are approximately 27 cm deep and typically have a round entrance hole of about 11 cm in diameter. It is one of the few woodpeckers that take nesting boxes.
Breeding season: Red-bellied woodpeckers breed in early April through mid-September.
Breeding period: It lays 2-6 white round eggs. It takes about 38 days from egg-laying (incubation period 12 days, nestling period 26 days) until fledging.
Lifespan: Red-bellied woodpeckers live at least 12 years and 3 months.
How many are there?: The estimated number of red-bellied woodpeckers in North America is 16 million.
#4. Downy Woodpecker
Identification: The downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is a tiny black and white woodpecker. Males have a red spot on the nape, which is missing in the female. Note the relatively short bill.
Food: Downy Woodpeckers eat mainly insects that live inside the wood, as well as ants and caterpillars. Their diet also includes berries, acorns, and grains. They are frequent visitors of backyard bird feeders.
Habitat: It favors deciduous woodlands. They also forage in tall bushes and landscape plants. They are common in semi-open woodlands in urban areas.
Behavior: Downy woodpeckers hitch acrobatically up, down, and around small branches and twigs, peeling and hammering into bark and wood for beetle larvae, ants, and other invertebrates.
Nest: Downy woodpeckers excavate their cavities in dead wood in 1 to 3 weeks. Nest cavities are approximately 9 in deep and typically have a round entrance hole of about 1-1.5 in diameter.
Breeding season: Downy woodpeckers breed in early April through late July.
Breeding period: This woodpecker lays 3-8 white round eggs. It takes about 31 days from egg-laying (incubation period 12 days, nestling period 19 days) until fledging.
Lifespan: Downy woodpeckers live at least 11 years and 11 months.
How many are there?: The estimated number of downy woodpeckers in North America is 13 million.
#5. Hairy Woodpecker
Identification: The hairy woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) has a black and white head, back, wings, and white underparts. Adult males have a red nape patch, which is missing in females. It is larger and longer-billed than the downy woodpecker.
Food: Hairy woodpeckers feed on mostly larvae of wood boring beetles, ants, and other invertebrates. A small part of its diet includes fruit and seeds. It is a frequent visitor to backyard bird feeders.
Habitat: Hairy woodpeckers use a variety of forest types, but they tend to prefer mature forests where wood-boring beetle larvae are readily found. It often concentrates in areas with many dead trees, particularly after burns. It occurs in suburban areas.
Behavior: Hairy woodpeckers hitch along the trunk and branches at all heights, from near the ground to tree tops. It actively drills bark and deadwood to find beetle larvae.
Nest: Hairy woodpeckers excavate their cavities in dead wood. Nest cavities are approximately 10 in deep and typically have a slightly oblong entrance hole of about 2 in high and 1.5 in wide.
Breeding season: Hairy woodpeckers breed in mid-March through late July.
Breeding period: This woodpecker lays 3-6 white round eggs. It takes about 31 days from egg-laying (incubation period 12 days, nestling period 29 days) until fledging.
Lifespan: Hairy woodpeckers live at least 15 years and 11 months.
How many are there?: The estimated number of hairy woodpeckers in North America is 8.7 million.
#6. Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Identification: The red-cockaded woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis) has a black and white head, back, and wings. The underparts are white with black markings on the sides. Males have a small red spot on the nape, which is missing in the female.
Food: Red-cockaded woodpeckers eat mostly beetles, ants, and insect larvae found in the bark of pine trees. They also include berries and pine seeds found in pine forests. They do not visit backyard bird feeders.
Habitat: It is found nearly exclusively in mature stands of pine forests with a short and clear understory that burns frequently. It is not found in suburban areas. The red-cockaded woodpecker is very rare and considered a critically endangered bird.
Behavior: Red-cockaded woodpeckers forage for food in noisy family groups. Families or clans maintain and defend fixed territories around clusters of nesting cavities.
Nest: The red-cockaded woodpecker is the only woodpecker that excavates its cavities in live pine trees. It may take up to two years to finish a cavity. Nest cavities have a round entrance hole of about 3.5 in, in diameter.
Breeding season: Red-cockaded woodpeckers breed in early mid-April through late July.
Breeding period: This woodpecker lays 2-5 white round eggs. It takes about 38 days from egg-laying (incubation period 11 days, nestling period 27 days) until fledging.
Lifespan: Red-cockaded woodpeckers live at least 16 years and 1 month.
How many are there?: The estimated number of red-cockaded woodpeckers in North America is 19 thousand individuals.
#7. Pileated Woodpecker
Identification: The pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is mostly black with white stripes on the head and neck. Male and female have red crests, but only the male shows a red malar stripe. In flight, the extended wings show white patches and white underneath.
Food: Pileated woodpeckers feed on mostly insects, particularly carpenter ants. It also eats beetle larvae and other invertebrates it finds inside the bark and wood. They also include fruit, berries, holly, and dogwood in their diet.
Habitat: It is typically found in mature deciduous or coniferous forests with large trees. It uses semi-open woodlands in suburban areas.
Behavior: The pileated woodpecker forages for food alone or in pairs. It often excavates large rectangular holes in search of carpenter ants and beetle larvae. The sound of its wood chopping action can be heard from a distance.
Nest: Pileated woodpeckers can excavate a nesting cavity in 3-6 weeks. Unlike other woodpeckers, the entrance to a pileated woodpecker cavity is oblong rather than circular. Nest cavities are approximately 16 in deep. It almost never reuses the same cavity after use for breeding.
Breeding season: Pileated woodpeckers breed in early March through mid-July.
Breeding period: The pileated woodpecker lays 3-5 white round eggs. It takes about 45 days from egg-laying (incubation period 17 days, nestling period 28 days) until fledging.
Lifespan: Pileated woodpeckers live at least 12 years and 11 months.
How many are there?: The estimated number of pileated woodpeckers in North America is 2.6 million.
#8. Northern Flicker
Identification: The northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) is one of the largest woodpeckers in Georgia. It is warm-brown with black barring on the back and wings and large black spots on the belly. It has a conspicuous black crescent on the chest. Males have a black malar stripe, which is missing in the female.
Food: Northern flickers eat insects, particularly ants and beetles on the ground. They peck at ant colonies in search of ant larvae. They also hammer cow patties to get the insect larvae inside or underneath. Northern flickers also include fruits and seeds in their diet, particularly in the winter months.
Habitat: It is typically found in semi-open or open habitats with scattered trees. Lightly wooded suburban areas and edges of agricultural land are also favored by the northern flicker.
Behavior: Unlike other woodpeckers in Georgia, the northern flicker forages for food on the grounds and tends to perch on horizontal rather than vertical branches, not using its tail as a prop. It has an undulating flight pattern.
Nest: The northern flicker excavates their cavities in dead wood. Typically, nest cavities are 14 inches deep with semi-oval entrance holes of 3 inches in diameter.
Breeding season: Northern flickers breed in late April through early August.
Breeding period: The northern flicker lays 5-8 white eggs. It takes about 37 days from egg-laying (incubation period 12 days, nestling period 25 days) until fledging.
Lifespan: Northern flickers live at least 9 years and 2 months.
How many are there?: The estimated number of northern flickers in North America is 11 million.
#9. Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Identification: The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephius principales) is all black with broad white stripes along the neck and back. About half of the folded wings are pure white. The males have a crimson crest while the females have a black crest. Both sexes have an ivory color bill. This woodpecker is considered extinct.
Food: The ivory-billed woodpeckers fed mostly on beetle larvae and other large invertebrates. They also included acorns, berries, and other fruits in their diets.
Habitat: Ivory-billed woodpeckers lived in large stands of upland and mature forests. They depended on dead trees to find food and concentrated in areas with many large dead trees, areas that burnt after a fire.
Behavior: Ivory-billed woodpeckers were observed foraging in pairs and often in small flocks when several birds were attracted to areas with many dead trees where wood boring beetle larvae became abundant.
Nest: According to accounts written by naturalist John James Audubon, Ivory-billed woodpeckers excavated cavities with an oval entrance hole of 4.5 wide to 5.5 inches tall. The cavity’s depth may have reached about 2 feet deep.
Breeding season: All nesting records of this woodpecker suggest that it bred in January through August.
Breeding period: It is known that the ivory-billed woodpecker laid 1-5 eggs. No further specific details are known about incubation time and nestling period.
Lifespan: No data.
How many are there?: The ivory-billed woodpecker has been declared extinct. There are isolated sightings of the species, but none has produced solid evidence of their presence.
Additional resources:
- Woodpecker Feet and Toes
- The Woodpecker Tail
- The Woodpecker Tongue
- The Marvels of Woodpecker Bills
- Understanding Woodpecker Drumming Behavior
- Woodpeckers as Cavity Creators
- What do Woodpeckers Eat?
- Woodpecker Migration
Photo Credits:
The photographic material used in this guide was made available on various websites. Many thanks to Andrew Morffew, Mark Mochell, Elizabeth Milson, Duzan Brinkhuizen, Dennis Church, Wendy Miller, Rick From Alabama, John Benson, Mick Thompson, Steve Guttman, Victor Espinoza, Kelly Colgan-Azar, Andy Reago, Chrissy McLaren, Garry C., Linda Fortuna, Vicky DeLoach, Paul Hurtado, Tom Murray, Tom Wilberding, Kenneth Cole-Schneider, Doug Greenberg, Brian Garrett, David White, Becky Matsubara, Dan Mooney, Hal Trachtenberg, Lloyd Davis, Denis Fournier, Gregory Heaton, hharryus, Greg Lavaty, Dona Hilkey, Joshua Mayer, Aaron Maizlish, Ashley Tubs, Richard George, Sandra Minica, Nick, Jon valentine, Steve Valasek, Mitch Walters, Kurayba and Julio Mulero.
Voices:
Most recordings were made by Paul Marvin (Xeno-canto https://xeno-canto.org/contributor/RFTXRYBVBX)
References and Sources:
- Allaboutbirds.org)
- eBird. (https://ebird.org/)
- Gill, Frank B., 1994. Ornithology – 2nd Edition, W. H. Freeman and Company.
- Sibley, David, 2000, The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, Publisher.
- Species Longevity Data: United States Geological Survey (https://www.usgs.gov/)
- The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior, 2001. Chris Elphick, John Dunning, and David Sibley (eds). Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
This black and white bird with a red spot on its head somewhere always flies away when I TRY (but fail) to take a pic of him. It’s a pretty small bird but bigger than a sparrow, and smaller than a blackbird.
Hello Suzzanne,
By your description, it sounds like a Downy Woodpecker. Check the pictures above and see if you may be.
I’d like to see a picture if you manage to take one.
Al
Al, you are right on the money! It IS the Downey. I didn’t think that was a woodpecker, b/c he’s so tiny. I haven’t seen him for a while, but if I do, and if I can snap a pic, I will def show you. I was noticing from the pics up there that I also get a big bird called a Pileated WP once in a GREAT while. He started coming when I bought nuts and fruit and also the mealworms. Im really glad I put the mealworms out because I have a mated pair of bluebirds that come to the feeder and they are beautiful and just adorable. They will just sit amongst the mealworms and GORGE! I’ve never once seen them at the seed feeder. Unfortunately, I also have an entire family of squirrels that love the mealworms. I had NO idea they were omnivores. I wish they weren’t. It’s kind of gross to me for some reason, the savages!! lol
Hi ZZ,
Glad to hear that you are enjoying those downy woodpeckers, they indeed are tiny.
A Pileated woodpecker on a feeder must be nice! I have never managed to attract one.
Yes, those squirrels can be a drag 🙂
Al
I took picture of the red head woodpecker in my yard in Cumming but don’t know how to add it to my note.
Hello Peggy,
Can you posted on our page on Facebook, please?
Thank you.
Al Begazo.
The best identification I have found
I’ve been watching several different species of woodpeckers in my yard. I’ve been living on my property for 5 years and am constantly filling my feeders. I love the fact that they’ve grown accustomed to me watching and taking pictures.. even come sit on my deck and gaze in wonder. Would love to share photos.
Hi Teressa,
Great to hear that! I would love to see your photos. I am in the process of setting up a contact form that allows attachments. Also, I opening up a “photos from visitors” section.
Please, check with me in a month or so. So much going on and will forget; so please get back with me.
Thanks much.
Al
Greetings!
So glad to have found this website. I noticed this spring we had an additional and different woodpecker couple coming to a suet (especially for woodpeckers), and wanted to report that we have a pair of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in our wooded area. We have had Red-bellied woodpeckers for many years, and in the last two years, the Downy Woodpecker. It has been a joy to watch the Woodpeckers and their young~they bring them to our deck to feed them, as we also have a Bluebird feeder with mealworms, which the Red-bellied woodpeckers enjoy as well.
Since the Red-cockaded is endangered and rare, is there any way to help these survive?
We live in a suburb of Atlanta and if I can capture a picture or two of these woodpeckers, I would love to share it.
Regards,
Sue
Hi Sue,
Yes indeed, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are rare. They are usually associated with long-leaf pine. Would like to see a picture if you can get one. My email is: [email protected]
Thank you.
Al.
This morning I had a pileated woodpecker and a red headed woodpecker in the same dead pine tree. I’m about twenty miles east of Athens GA.
Hello Linda,
You are lucky to have those two woodpeckers in single tree! Red-headed Woodpeckers are declining in numbers for still unknown reasons.
Regards,
Al
Thanks for this post. I just used it to identify one of the woodpeckers in an image I just captured.
Hello Michael,
You are welcome. I am glad the guide to identify woodpeckers in Georgia was useful to you!
Al.
I just used your ID information to identify what turned out to be a juvenile Red-headed woodpecker on my backyard feeder in McIntosh Co. I didn’t know what it was because it had no red at all. Your pictures solved the mystery. Thanks!
Hello David,
This is the time young Red-bellied Woodpeckers are fledging! They are fun to watch.
Al.
Thank you.
What a marvelous guide!
Hello Kelli,
I am glad you enjoyed!
Regards,
Al Begazo
Just discovered the site! A few minutes ago I saw what I’ve often thought was a downy in my courtyard. Now I’m wondering if it’s a hairy woodpecker. I’ve known they look similar, and I would say this one was small but not exactly “tiny”. I live in a neighborhood near downtown Woodstock. What do you think it likely was? P.S. Where can I find a northern flicker? Tony
Hello Tony,
It is often hard to tell Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers apart. It takes some attention to details, and I believe there information about this online.
Regarding flickers, they can be found in open or semi-open spaces often on the ground. They have experienced some population decline in the last decade though, and are not as common as they used to be.
Good luck,
Al.
Thank You Alfredo for posting this page. I live in west central Fl but am up here in Covington, Athens, Winder often due to wife’s family being up here. Down home I get a Lot of Pileated WPs which I enjoy especially when they are crowing out while flying. But while up here in Covington I just watched a Beautiful Redheaded WP and he is Gorgeous! We don’t have those in my part of Fl.
Thank you again
Hello Robert,
So glad you enjoyed the site. Yes, Red-headed Woodpecker are fun to watch. They have experienced population declines in parts of the country, seemingly for unknown reasons.
Regards,
Al.
Can Ivory Billed Woodpeckers have the same markings and colorings as a pileated woodpecker? I have a video of one that stays around my area.
Hello Kevin,
Yes, Ivory-billed Woodpeckers and Pileated Woodpeckers have similar color patterns, particularly seen from a distance. Ivory-billed Woodpeckers have nearly half of their backs white (folded wings) and a white bill. Also, they are bigger than a Pileated Woodpecker.
Please, remember that the Ivory-bille Woodpecker has been declared extinct.
Al.