Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Ladder-backed Woodpecker, adult male

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Ladder-backed Woodpecker, adult female

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A small black-and-white woodpecker of the southwestern United States and Mexico that forages and nests in cactus.

Description

• A small black-and-white woodpecker of the southwestern United States and Mexico that forages and nests in cactus.

• Size: 16-18 cm (6-7 in)
• Weight: 21-48 g (0.74-1.69 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male with red cap, female with black cap.

Sound

Call note a short "peek." Also a harsh rattle.

Conservation Status

Decline in numbers in Texas.

Other Names

Pic arlequin (French)
Carpintero listado, Carpintero chilillo, Carpintero mexicano (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• Although it is restricted to desert and arid environments in the United States, the Ladder-backed Woodpecker is found in pinelands in Central America.

Sources used to construct this page:

Lowther, P. 2001. Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris). In The Birds of North America, No. 565. (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.