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Woodpeckers are one of the most absorbing avians you’re able to bump in your backyard – and did you bang that there are11 species in Montana ?
There ’s a good chance that if you have more than one woodpecker visiting you , you may actually be playing innkeeper to a few unlike species !
Legend for the following woodpecker migration and range maps
Although the list below contains all the common woodpeckers observe in Montana , it ’s possible to happen a vagrant species of pecker that ’s not aboriginal to this special state . If you do see a floating coinage , it should be considered an extremely rarefied sighting !
The follow legend can be used for each woodpecker species map to find out what meter of year you’re able to see each woodpecker in your country .
11 woodpecker species are found in Montana , include the Northern Flicker , Black - Backed Woodpecker , Downy Woodpecker , Red - Headed Woodpecker , Pileated Woodpecker , Williamson ’s Sapsucker , Lewis ’s Woodpecker , White - headed Woodpecker , Hairy Woodpecker , American Three - Toed Woodpecker , and Red - Naped Sapsucker . Several of these peckerwood metal money are lasting resident physician , while others are much rare and can be only spot seasonally .
Legend for the following woodpecker migration and range maps
The 11 Woodpecker Species in Montana
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
guild : order Piciformes
family unit : family Picidae
Size:11.0 – 12.2 in ( 28 – 31 cm )
This Picidae is be intimate by many , many different names – and you may well have seen it look up to as the Yellow or Red - jockey Flicker . It ’s a fairly coarse bird and is also one of the with child woodpeckers living across the United States Department of State . Unlike most peckers , however , they tend to feast in the main on reason insects – ants , in special ! This Flicker will opt to skip around to eat , but may even choose to site itself on branches now and again when it take to a fruit treat or two .
The Northern Flicker has plume colour that can variegate ( hence its many names ) , but you’re able to ordinarily descry these birds thanks to their flecked tooshie and wings . They often have black markings around their face and crests , and you ’ll be able-bodied to tell them apart from other Picidae on sheer size alone .
Northern Flickers tend to live out east but can be found high up in the northwest reaches of Alaska , and even down towards the west coast – that applies to the yellow - screw variety , in any case ! Flickers of this genus incline to be jolly common across the US , with almost ten million specimens estimated at present in North America .
Black-Backed Woodpecker
genus Picoides arcticus
Size:9.1 in ( 23 curium )
The Shirley Temple - backed woodpecker is a fellow Picidae alongside the American three - toed variety , though as the name suggests , these birds can be easy enough to differentiate aside . These particular dame have the rather odd habit of striking Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that have died . There ’s a understanding for this – they scrounge in burnt Tree to go hunting for unsuspicious insects . black-market - back up woodpeckers will normally start pecking away on cauterise wood a few weeks after it ’s been scorched . What ’s also fascinating is the fact that they will bung on this wood for up to eight year !
This Picidae , as its name propose , has a shiny , black , feathery feather , which can be excellent in help to camouflage it in darker , burn forests . They are becoming more and more common as they hunt for grubs and larvae , and it ’s likely you ’ll spot them alongside their three - toed cousins .
There are said to be more than 1.8 million black - backed Picidae in North America decently now , and you ’ll recognize them all across the northerly states heading into Canada . Again , much like the three - toed salmagundi , this bird commonly frequents Alaska and out east – if there are combust trees , they ’ll be stuffy by .
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Size:5.5 – 6.7 in ( 14 – 17 cm )
Truly flyspeck , the cute downy woodpecker is a Picidae that ’s common across the magnetic north to key states . In fact , they are the pocket-sized native woodpeckers in the country . They tend to choose milder clime on the whole but are know to travel around . They practice needlelike , single phone call , and tend to enjoy feeding on seeds in self-feeder . If you have any peckerwood in your backyard , there is a very upright luck it is a Dryobates pubescens . They are just bigger than your unwashed garden dunnock .
Exceptionally small but unabashedly noisy , the downy woodpecker is for the most part mordant and white with spots , and the males incline to have violent cap . They have vary spots and stripe across their wings and feathers – mean that neither one nor two may ever look the same !
The downy woodpecker be just about everywhere across the United States , with sightings across states as diverse as Florida and Alaska ! If the climate is mild enough – and not too gay – then there ’s every chance you ’ll spot this dame in your M . There are around 13 million of them across the continent .
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Size:7.5 – 9.1 in ( 19 – 23 centimeter )
This large , boldly - colour bird is a wonderful sight for many , and while you might not hear it call too often , its rattles and cram on tree will belike be a common sound across its native commonwealth . However , it does n’t actually peck at at tree for food – it nobble fly beasts as they waver past . This woodpecker has sadly fallen in numbers over the years due to food scarcity . However , when it ca n’t snatch a glitch or two , it happily feast on testis and acorns .
Their name is a giveaway – they have bright red crowns and heads , with white consistence feathers and monochrome wings and dress suit . You probably wo n’t hear their call too clamorously .
These acorn - foraging birds frequent the easterly to key states , stretching up as far as outer Canada . They tend to enjoy the warmer reaches , however , as they will frequent blot in Florida and down in New Mexico .
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Size:15.8 – 19.3 in ( 40 – 49 centimeter )
Large and trashy , this woodpecker is middling prosperous to detect – particularly as their mating cries are so distinguishable ! Rather tragically , this burly Picidae is sometimes misguided for a pecker that ’s thought to now be extinct – the ivory - bill woodpecker , which has n’t been seen in the US for many years . The pileated woodpecker , almost crowlike in height , tends to feast on emmet and minibeasts regain deep in decaying Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . This species ’ hole - making can aid give tax shelter to other creature – making it a welcome sight .
Beyond their loud yell and wood rapping , the pileated pecker has a shocking red crown , with monochromatic body and tenacious , slight hooter . The male person of the species is easy to spot as it has a facial marking rather like a mustache .
The pileated woodpecker does n’t tend to be too quicksilver about where it likes to live . However , you ’ll mainly come up it last out in eastern country , though as far northward as Nova Scotia ! If you ’re a California aboriginal , it ’s also not unheard of to recognize this common Picidae .
Williamson’s Sapsucker
genus Sphyrapicus thyroideus
Size:8.3 – 9.8 in ( 21 – 25 curium )
The Williamson ’s sapsucker is a woodpecker that seems to be bouncing back from endangered status – thankfully ! These are bright bright - colored birds – at least when it do to males ! As with other sapsuckers , this bird will happily drill its direction into Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and impart gracious pits for Bronx cheer to get sap out of . This sapsucker is also know to eat ants and bugs out of the bark it sucks from , though this will normally occur when it is spawn . It does n’t have a favorite tree diagram – it blithely pecks out in a admixture of forest .
Interestingly , the male person and female person of this species often vary wildly – the male person is extremely promising in color , in terms of a mordant , wholesale coat with yellows and reds to the front , while female person are dimmer in shade , blot and often browned in colour .
Despite once being endangered , this bird now gratefully frequents more of the mid - west than ever before . That said , the migrant rule of this species are somewhat deep with some population known to migrate and others to be residents .
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Melanerpes lewis
Size:10.2 – 11.0 in ( 26 – 28 centimetre )
The Lewis ’s Woodpecker is fairly uncommon , but also pretty gruelling to miss when you do distinguish one ! This is a funny woodpecker in that it does n’t tend to peck into wood for chow – instead , it ’s more partial to consume the odd flying critter . unluckily , this is another woodpecker whose numbers game are fairly rare , as its home ground is wither . The Lewis ’s Woodpecker is a little bit of a nomad in its nature , in that it will be felicitous to seek for food in various territory across the class . However , you ’ll normally detect it in burned forests and pineland .
Boasting gorgeous red and shameful features , Lewis ’s pecker tends to be rosy around the face and beak , and to the top and front plumage . You ’ll find it has a splendid , sweeping , black plumage to the wings and tail . You likely wo n’t hear it pecking or boring .
Lewis ’s woodpecker , while uncommon , tend to be spotted to the southwest , as far out east as Oklahoma , and normally takes up asylum in forests . However , you ’ll also find it in some spots of California – a rare spot that ’s very rewarding .
White-headed Woodpecker
Dryobates albolarvatus
Size:8.3 – 9.1 in ( 21 – 23 cm )
The white-hot - headed peckerwood is a Rockies doll , normally preferring conifer trees and taking a rather finespun approach to seeking out quarry . They will seldom peck or hammer – rather , choosing to strip tree bark in search of tasty morsel . unluckily , they are amongst some of the most endangered woodpeckers in North America . If you are favorable enough to recognise this woodpecker , you may spot it in tree log and stumps as well as fully - grow trees . It ’s also fond to suet – if you exist up in the mountains , be sure to prepare your eater .
As their name suggests , the bloodless - headed pecker has a startlingly blank head and typeface , with gorgeous fateful plume , wing , and tail . You ’ll be able to spot a male person well , as it has a ruby-red marking , or cap , on its read/write head .
The white - head woodpecker , as mentioned , tend to live out towards the Rocky Mountains and along the west coast . You wo n’t regain them native anywhere else in the US , let alone the continent !
Hairy Woodpecker
Dryobates villosus
Size:7.1 – 10.2 in ( 18 – 26 centimetre )
If there is a chance you ’re going to blemish a woodpecker in your backyard somewhere in the commonwealth , then it ’s credibly go to be a hairy metal money ! The Dryobates villosus is passing coarse , but it ’s actually somewhat timid and retiring . They have very childlike shout but will be happy to drill and drum on just about anything . They are also premier opportunist – they ’ll slip sap from holes drill by other fowl ! The hairy peckerwood is also live for its mighty peck – it appear small , but it drills obstreperously !
The hairy woodpecker naturally has a pretty hairy visual aspect , though it ’s also far-famed for its relatively longsighted , pointed bill , as well as its distinct dim and livid colouring . Some species , however , can express a brown tincture . They are more often than not white to the chest and are speckled to the wings .
Where to jump ? This Picidae does n’t tend to be fussy about climate , though you ’ll normally see it amongst conifers . There are more than eight million of these birds across the continent , and their numbers are growing – there are no finical states where they are most prolific .
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Picoides dorsalis
These woodpeckers are so - named thanks to the obvious differences in their feet – they incline to lean back further than most pecker thanks to their three toes ! They also incline to be some of the noisier , more aggressive peckers , so that they can get a good work stoppage on the barque they attack . American Three - toed woodpeckers tend to expend a draw of metre pecking and scaling away at one or two tree diagram before they will select to go elsewhere – and they never get too deep into the barque .
As well as only have three toes , the American three - toed woodpecker is notable for having fateful / brown and white feathers , speckled , with a striking patterned face . Again , they can also be gentle to spot thanks to their pecking habits .
This Picidae is unhappily one of the most threaten , though there are thought to be more than 1.4 million of them hold out across North America . They tend to inhabit forested mountain areas , and they also largely inhabit the upper half of the continent . If you live in Alaska , British Columbia , or out towards Canada , you may be lucky enough to spot one or two .
Red-naped Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus nuchalis
Size:7.5 – 8.3 in ( 19 – 21 centimetre )
This democratic sapsucker is a vulgar bird that ’s growing in numbers pool – and that ’s likely to thrill many woodpeckers elsewhere , as this is a sapsucker potential to leave lots of open hole for tasty sap . You ’ll normally spot them out in forests like other sapsucker , but you may get one or two in your yard if you are lucky enough ! This peckerwood has an inordinately myopic tongue for its species , though that helps it to get at its daily cosh . These sapsucker can live to relatively old ages , with the oldest on record being almost five years of age .
The red - naped sapsucker has – of grade – a flushed nape , with blank and pitch-dark markings often emblazoning its boldness , as well as its crown , physical structure , and wings . It can get quite large , and give that it ’s fairly common , you should n’t have any trouble receive it .
These woodpeckers tend to live in the mid - elevation woodland of the intermountain West , from the Rocky Mountains westwards to the easterly slopes of Washington and Oregon . Most mortal transmigrate short distances with females transmigrate further than Male on norm . The northerly birds move south into the westerly and southwestern United States .
How to Attract Montana Woodpeckers to Your Yard
Want to see more woodpeckers in your backyard ?
As you’re able to see , there are more than a few rattling peckerwood specie to look out for across Montana . Some may not cluster to garden and backyard in favour of forests and woodland reaches – however , there ’s a chance a rare shuttlecock or two may make its style to you .
If you ’re penetrating to pop out spotting woodpeckers in your yard , why not take a look at our pathfinder onhow to draw woodpeckers ? That ’ll give you the basics of what ’s command to attract pecker .
Then , we ’d recommend study our purchaser ’s guide onchoosing the best woodpecker feeder . coif up a woodpecker eater or two is the salutary way to guarantee that pecker will chaffer your yard . While you ’re at it , do ensure to read our full templet onwhat to feed woodpeckers , too – as get their diet right will make a lot of deviation !
There are a crowd of other ways to attract pecker such asgetting a bird bathand planting native trees that woodpeckers love .
All State Woodpeckers
Want to see what woodpecker species are found in other states ? Here ’s our consummate list of woodpeckers found in each nation :
