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Nuttall's Woodpecker

Picoides nuttallii ORDER: PICIFORMES FAMILY: PICIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

A small woodpecker confined primarily to the oak woodlands of California.

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Appearance

Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers
Typical Voice

Adult Description

  • Small black-and-white woodpecker.
  • Black-and-white barred back, with unbarred black region at top of back.

Male Description

Male with forehead black, streaked with white on center of crown, red on rear crown and upper nape.

Female Description

Female with forehead, crown, and nape black with some white streaking.

Immature Description

Juveniles of both sexes have red on crown. Red feathering is less extensive than on adult male.

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Nuttall
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Similar Species

  • Downy Woodpecker has pure white in the middle of the back, pure white underparts, no white streaking on crown, and the black eye and malar stripes do not join.
  • Ladder-backed Woodpecker is paler, more white on back, has larger white stripes on face (a white face with black stripes, not a black face with white stripes like Nuttall's), barring rather than spots on outer tail feathers, and more extensive red on the head of the male, extending up to the forehead.