Nuttall's Woodpecker Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  The Nuttall's Woodpecker is a small woodpecker with a chisel-shaped bill. It has a small rounded head, a flat back, and an elongated appearance.

  Relative Size

  Slightly larger than a Downy Woodpecker, smaller than a Hairy Woodpecker.

  between sparrow and robin

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 6.3-7.1 in (16-18 cm)
    • Weight: 1.1-1.6 oz (30-45 g)
    • Wingspan: 13.0-16.1 in (33-41 cm)
• Color Pattern

  Nuttall's Woodpeckers are black-and-white striped birds. Males have a red patch on the back of their heads and both sexes have 2 narrow white stripes across their cheeks. The back has narrow black-and-white horizontal bars with a solid black patch on the upper back. The underparts are whitish with spotting and barring on the flanks. Juveniles have more grayish or buffy underparts than adults, and juveniles of both sexes have some red on the crown.

• Behavior

  Nuttall's Woodpeckers probe and pick insects out of crevices in tree trunks, branches, and twigs. They circle branches and twigs while foraging, sometimes perching across the branch, balancing with their wings instead of leaning against their tails.

• Habitat

  Nuttall's Woodpeckers live in oak woodlands year-round. They also use wooded suburban areas and woodlands near streams with cottonwoods, willows, and sycamores.