Arizona Woodpecker Identification

Arizona Woodpecker Female
Female

Brown-and-white woodpecker that is barred brown-and-white in front and solid brown on the back. Females do not have a red patch at the back of the head.

© Griffin Richards | Macaulay LibraryArizona, December 22, 2015
Arizona Woodpecker Male
Male

The only solidly brown-backed woodpecker in the United States. Males have a small patch of red at the back of the head.

© Laurens Halsey | Macaulay LibraryArizona, April 10, 2008
Arizona Woodpecker Male
Male

Excavates a hole, often in a dead tree, where they raise the young. Males and females bring larvae and other insects to the nestlings.

© Larry Arbanas | Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 01, 2006
Arizona Woodpecker Female
Female

Spotted and barred brown and white below and solid brown above. Note brown cheek patch. Females lack red on the head.

© Chris Rohrer | Macaulay LibraryArizona, March 06, 2016
Arizona Woodpecker Male
Male

Found in pine–oak woodlands from southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico and along Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental.

© Babs Buck | Macaulay LibraryArizona, February 20, 2016
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The Four Keys to ID

  • Size & Shape

    A small, compact woodpecker with a relatively long, straight, chisel-like bill.

    Relative Size

    Larger than a Downy Woodpecker, smaller than a Hairy Woodpecker.

    Relative Sizerobin sizedrobin-sized
    Measurements
    • Both Sexes
      • Length: 7.1-7.9 in (18-20 cm)
      • Weight: 1.2-1.8 oz (34-51 g)
      • Wingspan: 14.2 in (36 cm)

Regional Differences

Ornithologists recognize two subspecies: arizonae, resident from Arizona and New Mexico south to northwestern Durango and northeastern Sinaloa, Mexico. A smaller darker subspecies, fraterculus, occurs from southwestern Sinaloa and central Durango south to Michoacán, Mexico.