11 Species of Woodpeckers in Oklahoma

There are 11 species of woodpeckers in Oklahoma. They range from the smallest woodpecker, the Downy, to the largest Woodpecker, the Pileated. Some are common woodpeckers and are seen throughout Oklahoma including the Hairy Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Red-headed Woodpecker.

While others like the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, and Lewis’s Woodpecker are much harder to see in Oklahoma.

Woodpeckers can be found in various places, including suburban backyards, woodlands, and forests. This resource is a guide to identifying and learning more about these birds in detail or finding out which kind lives near you in Oklahoma.

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 keep the insect population in check.

Woodpeckers are interesting creatures and provide a beautiful sound when pecking.

All woodpeckers are protected by the federal migratory bird treaty act which makes it unlawful to kill, harm, hunt, etc. any species of woodpecker.

Where To Find Woodpeckers In Oklahoma

Looking for woodpeckers in Oklahoma? While you can see Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers in your backyard while others can be found in parks and forests. A great place to see not only woodpeckers but all birds is the Ouachita National Forest. Also, make sure to check out Keystone Ancient Forest, Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness, Black Mesa State Park, Red Sklough WMA, Hackberry Flat WMA, Sequoyah NWR, and Boomer Lake Park to name a few of the many beautiful places in Oklahoma to see birds and other wildlife.

For more birdwatching in Oklahoma see our article on backyard birds.

1. red-cockaded woodpecker

Scientific Name: Dryobates borealis Size: 7.9 to 9.1 inches

Description And Field Marks

The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker is on the endangered species list since their population has decreased significantly since the 1960s.

Although you would think that the red-cockaded woodpecker would have lots of red on it, they are mostly black and white in color like the downy and hairy woodpeckers. The side of a robin, with a large white cheek patch and black stripe on the lower portion of the cheek. Only the males have a tiny almost invisible red streak on its cheek.

Nesting

The Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers live in the family unit and raise their young together as a family. It’s usually the young male siblings that remain with the parents to raise next year’s nesting birds. They make their nests in roost cavities in large live pine trees.

They have only one brood each season with 2 to 5 white shiny eggs. The incubation period is 10 to 11 days and the nesting period is 26 to 29 days.

Diet

They eat larvae and insects found under the bark of pine trees. These insects include southern pine beetles, other beetles, and ants. They will also eat pine seeds and fruits such as cherries, grapes, and blueberries.

Habitat

The red-cockaded woodpecker lives in family units in old-growth southern pine forests. You will find them mostly on federal lands in the southeast United States. In Oklahoma, you can see them if you are lucky in the far southeast corner of the state.

Call And Drumming

2. pileated woodpecker

Scientific Name: Dryocopus pileatus Size: 16.5 inches

Description And Field Marks

The largest woodpeckers in Oklahoma 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 birds have been known to thrive in forests, especially throughout the Ouachita National Forest. Pileated Woodpeckers provide an important source of biodiversity to the state’s ecosystem and also act as indicators for healthy woodlands.

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. These nests can take from 3 to 6 weeks to build as they are very large, up to 2 feet wide.

Pileated Woodpeckers lay 3 to 5 white eggs each breeding season. The incubation period is 15 to 18 days and the young will remain in the nest for 24 to 31 days.

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 forests and open woodlands. Pileated Woodpeckers look for dead trees and logs, which offer food and a nest cavity.

These woodpeckers are something to see in person. The first time I saw one was on a hike in Isle Royale National Park. Their colors are beautiful and their drumming on trees sounds very loud.

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 And Drumming

3. red-bellied woodpecker

Scientific Name: Melanerpes carolinus Size: 9.4 inches

Description And Field Marks

The red-bellied woodpecker is widespread and common across the United States. Their physical appearance makes them easy to identify, and they are also known for their distinctive call.

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 a medium-sized woodpecker, it’s loud, and it will peck on your siding. These are the woodpeckers that are a nuisance in suburban areas because they can cause a lot of damage to your cedar shingles.

Nesting

Red-bellied Woodpeckers also build nest sites in dead trees and make the same nest each year. The male and female help to excavate the hole and care for the eggs. 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 from your backyard 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 Oklahoma all year round! They tend to stay close to the ground and can often be found in birdfeeders, specifically in wooded areas.

Call And Drumming

4. downy woodpecker

Scientific Name: Dryobates pubescens Size: 5.5-6.7 inches

Description And Field Marks

Downy Woodpeckers are bigger than the House Finch but smaller than Red-winged Blackbirds and are the smallest woodpecker in Minnesota. 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 adult males have a small red patch on the back of their heads.

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 and sap from the pine tree’s sap wells. 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 Oklahoma, especially in places where there are trees. You will see them in residential areas, cities, farmland, and wooded areas.

Call And Drumming

5. yellow-bellied sapsucker

Scientific Name: Sphyrapicus varius Size: 7.1-8.7 inches

Description And Field Marks

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is larger than the Downy Woodpecker and smaller than the Hairy Woodpecker about the size of a Robin with black and white plumage.

It has a straight bill and long wings The yellow-bellied sapsucker woodpecker has markings on its underside, but its plumage is mostly black and white. The female has a red cap on its head while the male also has a red cap plus a red throat. They both have pale yellow bellies.

Nesting

The male chips out a cavity in a tree about 10 inches deep which takes him several weeks. As the cavity is deep inside, the outside hole of the nest is only about 1.5 inches giving protection to the eggs and young.

The female lays 3 to 6 white eggs with an incubation period of 10 to 13 days. The young stay in the nest for about a month.

Diet

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drills into trees and eats their sap similar to the way we tap a tree for maple syrup. They don’t go on dead trees like other woodpeckers but love maple trees and other trees. They sometimes are seen on feeders eating suet.

Habitat

The yellow-bellied sapsucker is a migratory bird that mostly visits Oklahoma for the non-breeding season.

The yellow-bellied sapsucker is known for drilling small, neatly spaced rows of sap wells. Look for the yellow-bellied sapsucker by its love of aspen trees. They act like other woodpeckers with the way they move up and down the tree but are very protective of their sap wells keeping other birds away.

Call And Drumming

6. 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 that they find in trees and branches.

Habitat

Hairy Woodpeckers are year-round residents of Oklahoma 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 And Drumming

7. northern flickers

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.

With its gray-brown plumage, Northern Flickers stand out from other woodpeckers in their area. They also have plenty of dark markings on their undersides and brightly colored tail feathers.

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 cleans 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.

The Northern Flicker is a great backyard bird because it is generally easy to attract and stops 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 Oklahoma although you can see them year-round.

Call And Drumming

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.

They make excellent watch birds due to their loud “wicka-wicka-wicka” call that can be heard from quite a distance.

8. red-headed woodpeckers

Scientific Name: Melanerpes erythrocephalus Size: 7.5-9.1 inches

Description And Field Marks

You can’t miss these medium-sized birds with their bright 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 male picks out the nesting site and both the male and female help to build the nest, which is usually in dead trees.

They have one to two broods each year with 3 to 10 eggs which are pure white in color. The incubation period is around 12 to 14 days with both the male and female taking turns. The young will stay in the nest for 24 to 31 days.

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.

You will see them in Oklahoma all year long but the best time to see them is during the breeding season in spring and summer.

Call And Drumming

9. golden-fronted woodpeckers

Scientific Name: Melanerpes aurifrons Size: 8.7 to 10 inches

Description and Field Marks

The Golden-fronted Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker, about the size of an American Robin. They are black-and-white woodpeckers with tan breasts. Males have a yellow spot in front of the eyes, a red crown, and a yellow-orange nape. The lower belly is yellow on northern birds (United States). Females have a yellow patch in front of the eye and a yellow nape.

Nesting

Golden-fronted woodpeckers nest in tree cavities in deciduous forests and occasionally in coniferous forests. They roost and nest in tree cavities, typically 6 to 20 feet above the ground, and they may also nest in utility poles and fence posts. The birds prefer trees such as cottonwood, willow, cypress, oak, and juniper as nesting sites.

Golden-fronted woodpeckers typically have 1-2 broods of chicks per year, with each brood consisting of 4-7 eggs. The incubation period lasts 12-14 days, and the nestling period lasts 30-32 days until the chicks become independent.

Both sexes care for the young and the female usually incubates the eggs during the day while the male takes over at night.

Diet

Golden-fronted Woodpeckers are omnivorous with most of their diet consisting of insects, such as arthropods (spiders, walkingsticks, beetles, ants, praying mantis, cicadas, grasshoppers, and moths). Plant-based foods include corn, wild fruits, acorns, pecans, beans, citrus, cactus fruits, and berries. They also occasionally store fruits and nuts in small, dark places.

Habitat

The Golden-fronted Woodpecker is found in Texas, Oklahoma, and parts of Mexico and Central America. It is similar in appearance to the Red-bellied Woodpecker and may interbreed with them where their ranges meet in Texas.

Golden-Fronted Woodpeckers are typically found in riparian woodlands, arid tropical scrubs, semi-arid to arid brushlands, and savannas that include stands of cottonwood, willow, and cypress, as well as oak and juniper trees. These woodpeckers also visit suburban and urban parks, as well as backyard feeders.

Call and Drumming

10. lewis’s woodpecker

Scientific Name: Melanerpes lewis Size: 10.2-11 inches

Description and Field Marks

Lewis’s woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker species native to western North America. They have a red crown and nape, yellowish-orange face and neck, and greyish-brown wings and back.

Nesting

The nesting behavior of Lewis’s Woodpeckers involves finding a cavity in a tree to excavate for the nest usually lower than 60′ above ground. The male typically chooses the nesting site, and the birds may mate for life and use the same nest site repeatedly.

Lewis’s Woodpeckers lay between 2 and 5 eggs per clutch, which are white with brown and purple spots. They are oval-shaped and measure around 2 inches in length. The eggs typically hatch in 12-14 days. The eggs are incubated mainly by the female, with the male providing short-term relief. Both parents care for the nestlings, bringing back insects in their bills to feed them, and the young birds leave the nest after 4-5 weeks.

Diet

The diet of the Lewis’s Woodpeckers consists mostly of insects, but they also consume a wide variety of fruits and berries, as well as acorns and other nuts. They catch insects in the air while in flight, gleans insects from tree surfaces, take small fruits from trees, harvest acorns or other nuts, then breaks them into pieces and store them to feed on during the winter.

Additionally, it may feed at flat, open bird feeders and may act aggressively toward other birds.

Habitat

Lewis’s Woodpeckers are mainly found in open coniferous and riparian forests, orchards, and parks. Their migration behavior is quite variable from year to year. Some may be permanent residents in a particular area, while others may move south and to lower elevations during the winter.

In winter when large numbers of these birds are present, they may even travel to the lowlands of the southwest. They may migrate singly or in flocks, but the way they migrate typically remains consistent from year

Lewis’s woodpeckers are seen in pine forests in western Oklahoma year-round.

Call and drumming

Additionally, its unique call is a good way to identify it.

11. ladder-backed woodpeckers

Scientific Name: Picoides scalaris Size: 6.3-7.1 inches

Description and Field marks

A ladder-backed woodpecker is a small woodpecker the size between a sparrow and a robin. It is primarily colored black and white, with a barred pattern on its back and wings resembling the rungs of a ladder. The male has a red crown patch while the females have a black crown. Juveniles are similar to adult males, though the red is less extensive.

Nesting

The ladder-backed Woodpecker typically nests in a cavity excavated in a tree, large cactus, utility pole, or fencepost, usually 4-20′ above ground, although sometimes higher. Both sexes may excavate the cavity, but the male may do most of the work.

The pair may remain together for most of the year, performing displays such as raising head feathers, bobbing and turning the head, spreading wings and tail, and taking flight for territorial defense.

The female usually lays 3-4 white eggs, which hatch at about 13 days. Both parents feed the young insects, but the age when the young leave the nest is not well known.

Diet

The Ladder-backed Woodpecker has an omnivorous diet, primarily composed of insects such as wood-boring beetles, leafworms, caterpillars, ants, true bugs, and some insect larvae. They will also feed on berries and cactus fruit when necessary.

They may also come for mealworms offered at feeding stations, peanut butter, and black oil sunflower seeds. Additionally, they may be attracted to suet feeders in the northern parts of their range.

Habitat

The Ladder-backed woodpecker is primarily found in dry brushy areas and thickets deserts, such as the southeastern corner of California into Mexico. They may also inhabit treeless areas such as deserts, desert scrubs, and thorn forests with elevations of up to 7,600 feet.

They are found in the southwestern United States and are similar in appearance to Nuttall’s woodpecker but have less black on their head and upper back. You can see them in the far western part of Oklahoma.

Call and Drumming

The Ladder-backed Woodpecker’s vocalizations and calls include a repeated, high-pitched “pik,” a slightly descending “jee jee jee” series, and a slower “kweek kweek kweek.” Its drum is an uncomplicated roll

Rare Woodpecker in Oklahoma

ivory-billed woodpecker

The ivory-billed woodpecker, the largest woodpecker in the United States, is believed to be extinct but there is some evidence that it was spotted in the south in recent years in Arkansas, Louisiana, and South Carolina. These spottings have not been confirmed and are under investigation.

They are black and white and the male has a red crown and the female has a black crown. If you think you see one of these birds please report it to the state Audubon Society immediately.

FAQs

What Time Of Year Are Woodpeckers Most Active?

Woodpeckers are most active during the morning and evening hours.

Do Woodpeckers Only Live In Forests?

Woodpeckers can be found living throughout North America, and they are generally year-round residents. They prefer to live in areas with lots of trees, as they use these trees for food, nesting sites, and roosting sites.

How To Attract Woodpeckers To Your Backyard

The best way to attract woodpeckers to your backyard is to provide them with a natural habitat that includes plenty of trees, shrubs, and other vegetation. You can also provide birdhouses or nesting boxes for them to use.

How Can You Identify Each Type Of Woodpecker?

Step 1: Look At The Overall Size Of The Woodpecker.

The Pileated Woodpecker is the biggest and is mostly black with white stripes on its face and neck. To identify this woodpecker, look for a large triangle of the red crest on the top of its head.

Downy Woodpeckers and Hairy Woodpeckers can be easily identified by their bill size in relation to their head size. Downy Woodpeckers have a small bill while Hairy Woodpeckers have a bill that is almost the same size as their head.

Step 2: Look At The Coloration Of The Woodpecker.

There are a few ways to identify woodpeckers by their appearance. One way is to look at the coloration of the woodpecker. Male woodpeckers usually have a red patch on the back of their heads, while females do not.

Step 3: Look At The Habitat Of The Woodpecker.

The habitat can help identify the type of woodpecker. Woodpeckers are typically found in forests, so if you see a woodpecker in a forest, it is most likely a Hairy Woodpecker. If you see a woodpecker in an open field, it is most likely a Downy Woodpecker.

What Is The Average Lifespan Of A Woodpecker?

Woodpeckers are small birds with a lifespan of 6 to 10 years.

What Do Woodpeckers Eat?

Woodpeckers are a type of bird that is known for its ability to peck at trees. Woodpeckers mainly feed on wood-boring insects, larvae, grubs, eggs, and pupae. They use their sharp and heavy bill to chisel and dig into trees to reach the food.