7 Woodpeckers in Massachusetts
There are 7 different species of woodpeckers in Massachusetts. They are the Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and the Red-headed Woodpecker.
Woodpeckers can be found in a variety of places, including suburban backyards and cities. The common downy woodpecker and the not-so-common yellow-bellied sapsucker are both common in Massachusetts. The Pileated Woodpecker is the biggest woodpecker in Massachusetts, while the Downy Woodpecker is the smallest. Woodpeckers are interesting creatures and provide a beautiful sound when pecking.
Some people see woodpeckers as a nuisance since they can cause damage to buildings and houses, especially cedar siding. Others see them as good as they eat insects and by doing so keep the insect population in check.
All woodpeckers are protected by the federal migratory bird treaty act which makes it unlawful to kill, harm, or hunt, etc. any species of woodpecker.
For other types of birds in Massachusetts see our articles on Backyard Birds in Massachusetts, Ducks in Massachusetts, Black Birds in Massachusetts, Owls in Massachusetts, and Hawks in Massachusetts.
1. Downy Woodpecker
Scientific Name: Dryobates pubescens Size: 5.5-6.7 inches
Description And Field Marks
The Downy Woodpecker is bigger than a junco or House Finch but smaller than Red-winged Blackbirds and is the smallest woodpecker in Massachusetts. It has a black-and-white striped head and black wings with white spots and a solid white back and white underparts. The Downy Woodpecker has a black tail with white outer tail feathers with black bars or spots. The male has a small red spot on the back of his head.
Nesting
Look for their nest in dead trees or live trees with dead areas. They carve out an area large enough for the eggs and the bird. They line the nest only with wood chips. The nest can take weeks to make and is done by both the male and female.
A Downy woodpecker only has one brood each year with 3 to 8 eggs which are white in color. The incubation period is around 12 days with both the male and female taking turns. The young will stay in the nest for around 30 days.
Diet
Mostly Downy Woodpeckers eat insects. The male tends to eat from the ground while the female likes to find insects from branches and in trees. They will also eat seeds, weeds, and fruit.
The Downy Woodpecker will visit your backyard suet feeders for suet and nuts.
Habitat
The Downy is the most common woodpecker in the state of Massachusetts, especially in places where there are trees. You will see them in residential areas, cities, farmland, and wooded areas.
Call
Drumming
2. Pileated Woodpecker
Scientific Name: Dryocopus pileatus Size: 16.5 inches
Description And Field Marks
The largest woodpeckers in Massachusetts are the Pileated. It’s almost the size of a crow with an all-black body with white stripes down a long neck and a bright red crest on the back of their heads and strong bills. White under-wing and white wing patches are easily seen in flight.
Pileated Woodpeckers fly in fairly straight lines, unlike other woodpecker species, who fly in undulating lines.
These are noisy, loud woodpeckers. Their drum is slow and powerful, accelerates, and then trails off, not more than two times a minute.
Nesting
Pileated Woodpeckers drill out nest holes in large tree trunks.
Diet
They really like Carpenter Ants, so they’re often found foraging at the bottoms of dead trees or on fallen logs.
Habitat
Likes mature hardwood forests and open woodlands. Pileated Woodpeckers look for dead trees and logs, which offer food and a nest cavity.
Bird Notes
Pileated Woodpecker holes are rectangular rather than round or oval like other woodpeckers, and they are deep enough to break smaller trees in half.
Call
Drumming
Drumming
4. Hairy Woodpecker
Scientific Name: Leuconotopicus villosus Size: 7.1-10.2 inches
Description And Field Marks
Very similar to the Downy Woodpecker in color and looks except the Hairy Woodpecker is larger in size and has a longer bill.
Nesting
Hairy Woodpeckers make their nest in trees, especially diet trees. They lay 3-6 all-white eggs with an incubation period of 10 to 12 days. The young woodpeckers remain in the nest for about a month.
Diet
Their main source of food is insects just they find in trees and branches.
Habitat
Hairy Woodpeckers are year-round residents of Massachusetts backyards and also wood forests, especially pine trees which are abundant. If you don’t see them you will definitely hear them drumming on trees.
Call
Drumming
5. Northern Flicker
Scientific Name: Colaptes auratus Size: 11.0-12.2 inches
Description And Field
The Northern Flicker male and female are similar in color. They both have a rounded head, the bill is curved down and the tail tapers to a long point.
Although the same bird their colors differ from the eastern United States (bright yellow wing and tail feathers) and the western US (red wing and tail feathers).
The Northern Flicker is also known as “the woodpecker that doesn’t peck wood.” Instead, it gleans insects from the bark of trees.
Nesting
It nests in holes excavated by other animals, such as squirrels and woodpeckers. It lays 5 to 8 eggs which are all white. They only have one brood per nesting season.
The incubation period is around 2 weeks and the young stay in the nest for about a month.
Diet
Northern Flickers mostly will eat insects that they get from the ground. They will “drum” at the ground as other woodpeckers drum in trees and wood. During the winter months, they will also eat fruits and seeds.
These are beautiful woodpeckers. They may also stop in at your suet and peanut feeders, but most likely you’ll see them nesting in old trees.
Habitat
You will see Northern Flickers in city parks and backyards in the suburbs. They will also be in woodlands with open trees, burned forests, swamps, and marshes.
The most common time to see the Northern Flicker is during the spring and summer in Massachusetts as it migrates south for the wintertime.
The Northern Flicker has a wide range of calls. It has a typical woodpecker-like “drum” and a more musical, gurgling call that is often mistaken for the song of the Red-winged Blackbird.
Song And Call
Drumming
6. Red-bellied Woodpecker
Scientific Name: Melanerpes carolinus Size: 9.4 inches
Description And Field Marks
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are one of the most common backyard birds in Massachusetts. You can identify them by their red belly (hence the name) and black and white stripes down their back. Male Red-bellied Woodpeckers also have a red cap, but females only have napes of red.
It’s big, it’s loud, and it will peck on your siding.
Nesting
Red-bellied Woodpeckers also build nests in dead trees and make the same nest each year. They lay up to 4-5 eggs on top of wood chips inside the nest cavity. The eggs hatch after about 2 weeks, and the young birds leave the nest after about 4-5 weeks
Diet
Red-bellied Woodpeckers devour spiders, insects, and seeds from grasses, fruits, and nuts. They are especially fond of acorns and beech nuts. In fact, they play an important role in dispersing these seeds since they often cache (or store) more food than they can eat in one sitting.
Loves suet, peanut butter, and peanuts in your backyard bird feeders.
Habitat
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are found in all Eastern US states, and they don’t migrate. This means that you can see them in Massachusetts all year round! They tend to stay close to the ground and can often be found in birdfeeders, specifically in wooded areas.
Call
Drumming
7. Red-headed Woodpecker
Scientific Name: Melanerpes erythrocephalus Size: 7.5-9.1 inches
Description and Field Marks
You can’t miss this medium-sized woodpecker with its red head and white belly. The Red-headed woodpecker is the size of a Hairy woodpecker, between the size of a Robin and a Crow.
It has a powerful, spike bill that it uses to peck at wood to get insects. Its back and the tip of its tail are black but it has white wings. The male and female look the same but an immature bird has a brownish head with brown on its back and although its wings are white they have brown lines on them.
Nesting
The red-headed woodpecker is the only woodpecker that really doesn’t breed in Massachusetts even though occasionally it will happen.
Diet
Their diet consists mainly of insects, fruits, and seeds. It is one of the few woodpeckers that will store its food in tree cavities to consume at a later date. They will also visit backyard suet feeders during the winter.
Habitat
The red-headed woodpecker is one of the more aggressive woodpeckers as it will fight with birds larger than itself and even take over nest boxes from other birds including ducks.
They like areas where they are dead trees. They can be plentiful in an area one year and can be rarely seen the next year.
call
drumming
Conclusion
Now that you know more about the different types of woodpeckers in Massachusetts, keep an eye and especially an ear out to see these birds.
For more information on woodpeckers in Massachusetts as well as other birds check out the Massachusetts Audubon.
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