Red headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is identifiable by its completely red head and the distinctive solid white patch on each wing. Juvenile red-headed woodpeckers will have black bars across the white wing patch,and the head will be brownish in color.
- Red headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is identifiable by its completely red head and the distinctive solid white patch on each wing. Juvenile red-headed woodpeckers will have black bars across the white wing patch,and the head will be brownish in color.
- Black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) - The Black-backed woodpecker's range barely extends into Northern New Hampshire, but may occasionally be seen in the rest of the state as well. The back is a solid black as the name would suggest. Males will have a yellow crown as shown in this old print from Elon Howard Eaton from original plates by Louis Agassiz Fuertes. The Black-backed woodpecker is a three-toed variety.
- Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) - By far the largest NH woodpecker, and perhaps the most visually striking, is the Pileated Woodpecker. This bird can reach 18" in length and is identifiable by it size, the pronounced red crest, and the sharply delineated facial markings as shown in this photo. Males will have a small red area just above the bill, while in the female pileated woodpecker this will be black.
- Red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) - The red-bellied woodpecker can be readily identified by the red stripe on the back of its head. In the male red-bellied woodpecker, this stripe will extend all the way to the bill, while it stops above the forehead on the female as shown in this photo.The small red area on the belly of the red-bellied woodpecker is very hard to see in the field.
- Three-toed woodpecker (Picoides-tridactylus) - The three-toed woodpecker is similar ot the black-backed woodpecker, except that the back is barred black and white and the bill is somewhat shorter. The three-toed woodpecker's range in New Hampshire is similar to the black-backed woodpecker, and, likewise, it is most commonly seen in the extreme north of the state. Print by Elon Howard Eaton from original plates by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.
- Hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus) - The hairy woodpecker is bigger than the downy woodpecker and has a longer bill. It measures about 9" long and tends to be more reclusive than it's smaller look-alike, although it will also frequent suet feeders. Photo by Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com, licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5
- Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) - The Yellow-Shafted Northern Flicker is characterized by it brown back with black spots or bars. It has yellow undersides to the wings and a red patch at the back of its neck. The Northern Flicker is one of the larger New Hampshire woodpeckers, measuring about 12" long. Photo by Cephas, licensed under CC Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0.
- Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) - The downy woodpecker is the most common visitor to most NH suet feeders. It is also one of the smallest NH woodpeckers at just 6" long. The bill is shorter than that of the hairy woodpecker as well. The red patch on the head will be absent in females.
- Yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) - The male, as shown in this picture by Patrick Coin (CC Attribution ShareAlike 2.5), has a red patch on the top of its head and its throat. The female does not have the red throat patch. Both have a dull yellow breast, and a pronounced white wing stripe that is perhaps the easiest way to identify them. Juveniles will be brown. The adult is about the same size as the common American Robin.
- More >
