How to Identify aLadder-backed Woodpecker
Dryobates scalaris · 6.3–7.1 in (16–18 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Back barred black and white like a ladder, buffy spotted underparts, striped face and a full red crown.
Female
Identical but with a solid black crown and no red.
Male photo: Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Second photo: TonyCastro / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Field marks
- Back evenly barred black and white across its whole width
- Bold black-and-white face stripes
- Buff underparts spotted and barred with black
- Small size, in desert scrub and cactus
Similar species
What it sounds like
A sharp, crisp "pik" and a descending rattling whinny.
Behaviour that gives it away
Nests in cavities excavated in cactus, agave stalks and desert trees where no large timber exists.
Habitat & range
Desert scrub, mesquite, cactus country and dry woodland across the Southwest.
When you'll see it
Present all year in southwestern and central North America.
What it eats
Insects and larvae extracted from cactus, agave and desert trees, plus some fruit.
Did you know?
It nests inside cactus and agave flower stalks where there are no trees big enough to hold a woodpecker hole.
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