Bird guide · Dryobates scalaris
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
What the ladder-backed woodpecker eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
- Most common
- Arizona, New Mexico, Texas
Food
What do ladder-backed woodpeckers eat?
Pairs often forage together: males on trunks and big limbs, females on outer twigs and cacti.
Feeder that suits it
A tube or hopper feeder with sunflower seed or sunflower hearts.
Range
Where do ladder-backed woodpeckers live?
Arid scrub and desert washes of the Southwest. By share of all bird sightings, ladder-backed woodpeckers are most common in Arizona (1.2%).
States where ladder-backed woodpeckers are most common
- Arizona1.2%
- New Mexico1.0%
- Texas0.7%
- Nevada0.2%
- Utah0.08%
- Oklahoma0.05%
- Colorado0.03%
- California0.03%
- Kansas0.00%
- North Carolina0.00%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are ladder-backed woodpeckers, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the ladder-backed woodpecker migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in December.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are ladder-backed woodpeckers, by month.
Identification
How to identify the ladder-backed woodpecker
Adults: Black-and-white 'ladder' barring on the back and wings, cream underparts; male has a red crown patch.
Size: 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
Easily confused with
- Nuttall's Woodpecker – darker, with a broad black upper back; California
On camera
Getting the ladder-backed woodpecker on a feeder camera
Any seed camera feeder works. Hang it near shrubs for cover, about five feet off the ground, with the lens facing away from direct sun.
Questions
Ladder-backed Woodpecker: questions
Do ladder-backed woodpeckers migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in December.
Where do ladder-backed woodpeckers live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah. They are rare or absent in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia.
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