12 Types Of Woodpeckers In Colorado

Woodpecker is considered as one of the most interesting species of birds seen across the globe except in Australia, New Zealand and Madagascar. The bird species loves to thrive in forests, backyards and places where abundant trees are available. The largest known woodpecker is a great slaty woodpecker that can grow upto 20 inches in length and the smallest known woodpecker is the piculets which can grow upto 3 to 4 inches long. Woodpeckers have a chisel-like bill which is primarily used for drilling of the trees when the bird species is in search of food or when it is planning to prepare a nest during the mating season. Here is the list of 10 specific types of woodpeckers in colorado,

Woodpeckers In Colorado

1. Red-Naped Sapsucker

Red-Naped Sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker in Michigan that can grow upto 9–21 cm (7.5–8.3 in) long and wieght approximately 32–66 g (1.1–2.3 oz). One of the commonly seen woodpeckers in colorado was first described by Spencer Fullerton Baird in 1858. It is scientifically known as Sphyrapicus nuchalis and known to have a black head with a red forehead, white stripes, and a red spot on the nape. The belly and the rump is white in colour. The bird species mostly breed in the regions of the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin areas of North America.

Image source: Wikimedia

2. Red-bellied Woodpecker

The red-bellied woodpecker in Florida is also a medium-sized woodpecker that belongs to the family Picidae. The bird species breeds mainly in the regions of the eastern United States that starts from the south as Florida and as far north as Canada. Adult woodpecker species can be easily recognised by light grey on the face, underparts along with black and white barred patterns on their back, wings and tail. The bird species can grow upto 22.85 to 26.7 cm with a total wingspan of 38 to 46 cm. The avarage wieght of the species is 56 to 91 gms. The avarage lifespan of the woodpecker species is 12.1 years in the wild. Red-bellied woodpeckers communicate with each other with the help of calls, non-vocal sounds (drumming), and body signals.

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3.Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America scientifically known as Dryobates pubescens. The species is mostly black in colour, however, the throat, belly, and back are white. The tail is also black but the tail feathers are also white. These woodpeckers found in Arkansas feeds on trees, insects, seeds, berries and European corn borers. It loves to thrive in deciduous forest habitats and is not visible in desert or tundra regions. The avarage lifespan of the bird species is two or three years in the wild. It can grow upto 5.5-6.7 in length and weighs around 0.7-1 oz. A baby downy woodpecker is called a chick and primarily feeds on insects, fruits, sap, arthropods, and cambium tissues. It is also one of the commonly seen woodpeckers in Pennsylvania.

4.Red-Breasted Sapsucker

The Red-breasted sapsucker scientifically known as Sphyrapicus ruber mostly seen on the west coast of North America. Talking about the appearance, Adult woodpecker species have a redhead and upper chest along with a white lower belly and rump. The wings of the bird have bars with a large white wing patch. The bird species love to thrive in a forest of deciduous trees and produce one brood per breeding season. It can grow upto a length of 7.9-8.7 in and weighs approximately 1.9-2.2 oz. The total wingspan of the species is 14.6-16.0 in. The avarage lifespan of the woodpecker species is two to three years in the wild.

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5. Hairy Woodpecker

One of the woodpeckers in colorado is mostly seen in the areas of the Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States. It can grow upto 18 to 26 cm with a total wingspan of 33 to 43 cm. The avarage wieght of the bird species is 40 to 95 gms and has an avarage lifespan of 15 years. Talking about the appearance, the adult bird species are mainly black on the upperparts and wings along with a white or pale back and white spotting on the wings. These are active solitary birds and mostly active during the day.

6. Acorn Woodpecker

The acorn woodpecker scientifically known as Melanerpes formicivorus is a medium-size woodpecker species that can grow upto 21 cm (8.3 in) long with an avarage wieght of 85 g (3.0 oz). The woodpecker species was formally described by the English naturalist William John Swainson under the binomial name Picus formicivorus from a specimen collected in Mexico. The bird species love to thrive in the region of oaks in the coastal areas and foothills of Oregon, California, and the southwestern United States. It primarily feeds on Acorns, nuts, fruits, seeds, ants, and flying insects.

7. Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

The ladder-backed woodpecker scientifically known as Dryobates scalaris is a small size woodpecker species that can grow upto 16.5 to 19 cm in length. Adult species can be easily identified with a black and white barred pattern on their back and wings resembling the rungs of a ladder. It prefers to make nests in the cavities of the tree trunks and on an avarage female lays between 2 and 7 eggs that are plain white in colour. The bird species love to thrive in the areas of dry brushy areas and thickets and have a rather large range. It primarily feeds on insect larvae and some adult insects.

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8. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker scientifically known as Sphyrapicus varius is a medium-sized bird species that mostly breeds in the regions of Canada and the northeastern United States. The bird species primarily feed on insects, including many ants (taken from tree trunks). The unique part is that it is used to drill tiny holes in the tree bark and will return regularly to feed on the sap that oozes out. The avarage lifespan of the bird species is 6 to 7 years in the wild.

Also Read: Top 10 Amazing Woodpeckers In Ohio

9. Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker also known as common flicker is a medium-sized bird species that belong to the woodpecker family. The bird species is native to North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands. It is being called by the different names that include clape, gaffer woodpecker, harry-wicket, heigh-ho, wake-up, walk-up, wick-up, larrup, and gawker bird. The adult species can be recognised by its brown with black bars on the back and wings. It can grow upto 28–36 cm (11–14 in) in length with a total wingspan of 42–54 cm (17–21 in). The avarage wieght of the species is 86 to 167 g (3.0 to 5.9 oz). The longest lifespan of the bird species recorded was 9 years and 2 months, however, the avarage is much less than this.

10. Lewis’s Woodpecker

The Lewis’s Woodpecker scientifically known as Melanerpes lewis is a North American species of woodpecker that can be easily recognizable with a dark red face, grey collar, and a dark iridescent green-black back, however, the wings and the tail are all dark without spots or patches. The woodpecker species breeds in the regions of southeastern British Columbia southward to central California and New Mexico, eastward to western South Dakota. It primarily feeds on acorns, other nuts, seeds, and fruits. The bird was named after Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

11.American Three-toed Woodpecker

American Three-toed Woodpecker is medium size woodpecker species that belongs to the family of Picidae. The species is native to North America. The bird species can grow upto length of 21 cm with a total wingspan of 38 cm.The avarage wieght of the woodpecker species is 55 gms and the average lifespan of the American Three-toed Woodpecker is 6 years in the wild. The species looks similar to the the black-backed woodpecker and until long time it was considered as same species of Eurasian three-toed woodpecker.

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12.Red-headed Woodpecker

The Red-headed Woodpecker woodpecker species is listed under small or medium size bird species native to North America.The bird species breed across southern Canada and the eastern-central United States.The bird is known for its prominent red part of its plumage on the head, however, its quite different in other aspects.Both male and female measure approximately 19 to 25 cm in length with a total wingspan of 42.5 cm.The bird species loves to feed on insects, seeds, fruits, berries, nuts, and occasionally small rodents.