Types of Woodpeckers in New York (Complete Guide)
Last updated: 18 August 2023
Mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, swamps, and plains all describe the natural habitat of New York State. This is an ideal location for a variety of woodpecker species to call home. All woodpeckers on this list are permanent residents year-round, with some being more difficult to spot than others. This means you have countless opportunities to spot and track different woodpecker species. However, before you suit up for a day or weekend of bird watching, understand the question, what woodpeckers can be found in New York?
Eleven woodpecker species can be spotted in the state of New York. These include the American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, the Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Each of these woodpecker species has different prey, hunting habits, and comfortable environments.
To learn more about the eleven woodpecker species in New York, keep reading!
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Length:
14cm to 17cm
Wingspan:
25cm to 30cm
Weight:
21g to 28g
Seen :
All year
Downy Woodpecker
The year-round Downy Woodpecker is the smallest New York woodpecker species and the smallest in North America. While you may think you’re seeing a Hairy Woodpecker at feeders, it is usually the Downy species that frequent this location.
Visually identified by a black and white pattern, and a white patch on their back, the Downy Woodpecker males have a red patch on their heads. In addition to backyard feeders, this bird nests in dead tree cavities and hunts insects from the same location. They also consume nuts, grains, acorns, and berries.
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Northern Flicker
Northern Flicker calling
Northern Flicker on suet feeder
Northern Flicker feeding young
Close up of a Northern Flicker
Length:
28cm to 31cm
Wingspan:
50cm to 55cm
Weight:
120g
Seen :
All year round
Northern Flicker
Located in the southern regions of New York State, the Northern Flicker breeds in the northern part of the state before migrating south. That means you can view them year-round, just in various parts of the state.
Featuring a flash of yellow on their tails and wings, Northern Flickers can best be identified by their red napes on the neck and white patches on their rumps. With colorful plumage, these large brown woodpeckers have many contrasting colors.
Their diet consists of beetles and ants, but they have been known to eat seeds and fruits, which is why you may see them on the ground digging these plant materials up.
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker in flight
Red-headed Woodpecker at nest
Red-headed Woodpecker perched
A pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers
Length:
19.4cm to 23.5cm
Wingspan:
33cm to 37cm
Weight:
56g to 91g
Seen :
All year
Red-headed Woodpecker
While the Red-headed woodpecker can be found year-round in New York State, the best time to see them is in the summer hanging around forests.
This species is true to its name with a bright red head, simple black and white markings, white undersides, and black bands on their wings. They also feature short tails and powerful spike bills.
For lunch, they typically catch insects like grasshoppers, honeybees, and beetles midflight or in trees. However, this is only one-third of their diet. The other two-thirds include plants like berries, nuts, and seeds.
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Close up of a Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker in flight
Pileated Woodpecker
A pair of Pileated Woodpeckers
Pileated Woodpecker eating ants
Length:
40cm to 49cm
Wingspan:
66cm to 75cm
Weight:
250g to 350g
Seen :
All year
Pileated Woodpecker
As the largest woodpecker in New York, the Pileated Woodpecker is a year-round resident but can mostly be spotted in the southern forests and hills of the state during the summer.
Featuring a flaming-red triangular head crest, black and white stripes on their underside, and the males have a red stripe on their cheek, the Pileated Woodpecker is a stunning sight to see.
You can find them dining on carpenter ants from fallen logs and dead trees, as well as termites, larvae, nuts, and fruit.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Red-bellied Woodpecker feeding
Red-bellied Woodpecker
A pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers
Red-bellied Woodpecker perched on a branch
Length:
23cm to 27cm
Wingspan:
33cm to 42cm
Weight:
56g to 91g
Seen :
All year
Red-bellied Woodpecker
The Red-bellied Woodpecker can be spotted year-round but are mostly observed in the very eastern and western portions of the state.
This species is often mistaken for Red-headed Woodpeckers because they feature red caps but are significantly smaller than their Red-headed cousin. Females can be identified by the red nape without red on the crown. Both sexes feature white and black markings across their backs.
You can find these woodpeckers at bird feeders and in wooded areas where they dine on nuts, fruit, seeds from grass, spiders, and insects.
Hairy Woodpecker
Dryobates villosus
Hairy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker perched on a branch
A female Hairy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker on a tree
Length:
25cm to 33cm
Wingspan:
38cm
Weight:
43g to 99g
Seen :
All year
Hairy Woodpecker
The Hairy Woodpecker is a year-round bird in New York that is mostly found in woodland areas. Featuring a large patch on their back and a black and white pattern across the body, the Hairy Woodpecker is aesthetically similar to the Downy Woodpecker, only larger. Since they coexist in the same habitat, the two birds can be difficult to tell apart.
Hairy Woodpeckers mostly eat insects like bark beetles, ants, and larvae but also consume millipedes, pupae, spiders, bees, and caterpillars.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Length:
18cm to 23cm
Wingspan:
34cm to 40cm
Weight:
50g
Seen :
All year round
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker breeds in New York State and can be observed year-round. At the size of a robin, this woodpecker species features a red forehead and a red throat with a mostly black body. These woodpeckers chisel holes in trees then stick out their tongues to consume sap.
You will know a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has been at a tree because they make horizontal rows on hickory, sugar or red maple, yellow birch, and young paper birch trees. They most commonly live and breed in deciduous forests where they feed.
Black-backed Woodpecker
Picoides arcticus
Black-backed Woodpecker
A female Black-backed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker at nest
Length:
23cm
Wingspan:
40cm to 42cm
Weight:
61g to 88g
Seen :
All year, but uncommon
Black-backed Woodpecker
Although uncommon to spot, they call New York State home year-round. Since they are small birds with a black back, they can be difficult to find. On their undercarriage, they feature black and white stripes with a mostly white belly. Adult males have a yellow cap.
This woodpecker species specializes in finding and consuming wood-boring beetle larvae, especially in burned forests. They find their food by pulling the bark from dead trees.
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Picoides dorsalis
American Three-toed Woodpecker
American Three-toed Woodpecker male excavating nest
American Three-toed Woodpecker searching for bugs
Length:
21cm to 23cm
Wingspan:
37cm to 39cm
Weight:
45g to 68g
Seen :
Rare, but all year
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Featuring a yellow cap on adult males, one black stripe near their beak, a blackhead, black ad white flanks, a black rump and wings, and white belly and throat, the American Three-toed Woodpecker can commonly be found in coniferous forests with dying trees near water all-year but is rare to see.
This species dines on a variety of insects like spruce beetles and wood-boring beetle larvae but also eats fruit and tree sap. The American Three-toed Woodpecker removes tree bark by pecking to find the insects living inside. They use this same technique to drill tree sap.
Williamson's Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus thyroideus
Williamson's Sapsucker
Williamson's Sapsucker perched on a tree
Length:
21cm to 25cm
Wingspan:
34cm to 40cm
Weight:
44g to 55g
Seen :
Rare, but occasionally spotted
Williamson's Sapsucker
While rare for New York, Williamson’s Sapsucker is sometimes spotted in coniferous forests. The males and females of this species appear different, so they were originally misidentified as two species. Williamson’s Sapsucker drills small holes into tree bark in neat rows to feed on the internal spa oozing out.
This bird also eats tree tissues and insects attracted to the sap. Ants form a major part of their diet, especially during the breeding season.
The males can be identified by their red throat, yellow bellies, and black and white plumage, while females feature black and white barred backs and flanks, a black band along yellow bellies, and a brown head.
Lewis's Woodpecker
Melanerpes lewis
Length:
26cm to 28cm
Wingspan:
49cm to 52cm
Weight:
88g to 139g
Seen :
Rare, but all year
Lewis's Woodpecker
Although they are uncommon to find, you can observe Lewis’s Woodpecker year-round in New York. Featuring a red face that could appear dark depending on the lighting, this woodpecker flies like a crow but forages for food like a flycatcher.
This species features long wings, a long tail, and an elongated body. They sit high on branches, posts, and wires to catch flying insects in midflight. You can find them in New York in woodlands, orchards, burned forests, and pine forests.
