Ohio is home to a remarkable diverseness of woodpecker , thanks to its robust admixture of timberland , wetland , and suburban timberland . From the soft tapping in city parks to the powerful drumming deep in mature forests , peckerwood are both heard and visit across the state . explore the differenttypes of pecker in Ohiooffers a bang-up path to connect with nature and enjoy twelvemonth - round bird activeness .
Somewoodpeckers in Ohiostay throughout the season , while others only pass through during migration . Each species has its own unique markings , behavior , and preferable home ground . By learning to identify these differences , tell apart them in the state of nature becomes much more rewarding and meaningful .
This guide covers 11 fascinatingtypes of woodpeckersin Ohio , complete with designation hint , habitat details , and fun fact . From the familiar Downy Woodpecker to the elusive Red - headed pecker , you ’ll find how each coinage add to the vibrant birdlife across the Buckeye State .
Different Types of Woodpeckers in Ohio
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
The Downy Woodpecker is the small-scale and one of the most widespread pecker species in North America , and it is the most common in Ohio . This midget bird typically measure between 5.5 to 6.7 inches in length with a wingspan of 9.8 to 11.8 column inch . It has a white underside , black wingswith white spots , a black - and - bloodless stripy head , and a clear-cut blanched back . male feature a small red patch on the back of the head , which females deficiency . The Downy ’s bill is comparatively poor and consecutive , helping distinguish it from the standardized - looking Hairy Woodpecker .
In Ohio , Downy Woodpeckers can be consider throughout the year in a miscellanea of habitat , let in deciduous timber , wooded suburbs , orchards , and backyard eater . They are specially fond of suet and sunflower seeds , making them a even visitor to bird self-feeder during the winter months . These birds are acrobatic and often seen climbing tree diagram trunks or give ear from lissome twigs while foraging for insects . Their drumming and richly - pitched “ pik ” calls are also common auditory cue in woodlands and residential areas .
A fun fact about the Downy Woodpecker is that despite its small size , it is surprisingly aggressive when defending its territory . It will readily confront larger snort like starling and even squirrels . Its ability to thrive in both natural and human - altered environments has made it a familiar and darling presence across Ohio ’s seasons .
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
The Red - bellied Woodpecker is a intermediate - sized pecker commonly found across the eastern United States and especially abundant in Ohio . Adults typically value about 9 to 10.5 inches long with a wingspan of 15 to 18 inch . Despite its name , the ruddy maculation on its stomach is often feeble and hard to see , while its most noticeable feature is the bright red cap stretch from the beak to the nape in males , and only from the nape in females . Its back and wings are heavy barred in black and ashen , while its face and underparts are pale greyish .
This species is far-flung across Ohio and particularly uncouth in mature deciduous forests , suburban forest , and even urban green . It is a class - round resident and frequently jaw confluent , specially those offering peanuts , suet , or helianthus seed . Red - belly out Woodpeckers are known for their loud , rolling “ churr ” call and speedy drumming on tree . They are agile forager , not only drilling into wood but also catching insects in flying and consuming fruits , nuts , and seed .
Interestingly , the Red - bellied Woodpecker is a cavity homesteader and has been observed to now and again lay in food in tree crevices for later consumption . Despite their relatively shy nature , their distinctive coloration and vocalization make them easy to spot and identify throughout Ohio ’s woodlands and neighbourhood .
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
The Northern Flicker stand up out among pecker due to its unusual habits and come across appearance . Measuring 11 to 14 inches long with a wingspread of 16.5 to 20 inches , it has a chocolate-brown organic structure with black bars on the back and wings , a inglorious bib on its chest , and distinctive facial markings . In Ohio , you ’ll typically see the “ Yellow - chicane ” form , which has bright yellowish underwing and tail feathers . Males display a black moustache - like stripe on their faces , while female person do not .
Unlike most woodpeckers , Northern Flickers often forage on the ground , probing grease and leaf bedding material for ants , which make up a large part of their dieting . In Ohio , they are commonly note during natural spring and tumble migrations but also nestle topically and can be see throughout the twelvemonth , peculiarly in open timber , forest edges , and suburban yards . Their loud , environ “ wick - a - taper - a - taper ” call and rhythmic drumming make them easygoing to locate , even from a distance .
A unique fact about Northern Flickers is their role in aerating soil while hunting ants . They ’ve even been sleep together to apply tools , such as piece of barque , to dig . Their combination of terrestrial forage and colorful flight make them one of Ohio ’s most fascinating and easy recognizable woodpecker .
Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus)
The Hairy Woodpecker is a larger , more full-bodied full cousin of the Downy Woodpecker , often found in the same habitats but less commonly examine due to its more reclusive nature . adult quantify 7 to 10 inches in duration with a wingspread of 13 to 16 inches . It has a clean white belly , black wings with blanched office , and a white back , exchangeable to the Downy . However , its longer bill — almost the same length as its head — is a key distinguishing feature . Males have a red plot of ground on the back of the head .
In Ohio , Hairy Woodpeckers reside year - stave in fledged forests , wooded parks , and nature reserve . They are specially drawn to large , deadened Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree where they can excavate nests and hunt for beetle larvae and other wood - boring insects . While they occasionally shoot the breeze bird feeder , they are generally shyer and less likely to be get word in urban environments . Their outcry are sharper and loud than those of Downy Woodpeckers , often described as a needlelike “ peek ! ”
One playfulness fact about the Hairy Woodpecker is that it can peck with such force and preciseness that it creates almost perfectly round holes in tree trunks . These cavities not only attend their nesting intent but are often reprocess by other razz coinage , making the Hairy Woodpecker an crucial part of Ohio ’s forest ecosystem .
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
The Pileated Woodpecker is the bombastic woodpecker metal money in Ohio and among the most outstanding . assess 16 to 19 inch foresighted with an telling wingspan of 26 to 30 inch , it has a crow - similar silhouette and a vivid red crest that makes it instantly placeable . Its body is mostly black with sheer lily-white stripes on the neck and face , and white underwing that flash during flight . male have a red mustache stripe along the impudence , which females deficiency .
This mintage prefers matured , previous - growth wood and is typically encounter in large woodlands with abundant idle or dying tree . In Ohio , Pileated Woodpeckers are year - rung residents but are more often heard than seen due to their unsure deportment . Their call is a loud , groundless - sounding “ kuk - kuk - kuk ” and their drumming is deep , slow , and resonant — like someone striking a hollow log . They unearth heavy , rectangular mess in trees when foraging for carpenter ants and wood - boring beetles .
A fun fact about Pileated Woodpeckers is that their herculean excavation employment creates nesting bodily cavity used by owls , duck , bats , and other shuttlecock . Their presence is considered a sign of a healthy , fledged forest . While they are not commonly seen in urban circumstance , a walking in a smooth timberland may repay you with a glimpse of this magnificent Bronx cheer glide between Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
The Red - head Woodpecker is a medium - sized woodpecker easy identify by its vibrant , completelyred headand contrast black - and - bloodless consistency . Adults quantify about 7.5 to 9.1 inches in length with a wingspan of 16 to 17 inch . Its back and wing are super acid black with tumid white darn , and its belly is bright white-hot . Juveniles look dramatically different , with brown head and less spectacular plumage until they suppurate .
In Ohio , this species was once very common but has declined in many areas due to habitat release , especially the remotion of dead trees in heart-to-heart woodland , pastures , and savannas . It still persists in scattered pocket across the state where rip ( standing dead trees ) are left inviolate . Unlike many woodpeckers , Red - headed Woodpeckers catch insects in midair and store food like acorn or insects in Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree barque for future intake . They are outspoken razz , often emitting sharp “ queer ” claim and tapping rhythmically on wood .
A entrancing trait of the Red - headed Woodpecker is its role as one of the few woodpeckers that hoard food , sometimes covering it with barque or leaves . Their universe dynamics are extremely reactive to changes in Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree cover song , making them an indicator specie for open timber ecosystems in Ohio and beyond .
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
The Yellow - belly out Sapsucker is a migratory pecker with a unique feeding style and a pernicious , beautiful appearance . Adults are around 7.1 to 8.7 in recollective with a wingspan of 13 to 16 inches . They have a white venter touch with yellow , a black - and - white patterned back , and bluff facial markings . Males have a crimson throat and crown , while female person have a red diadem but a white pharynx . Their most telltale sign , however , is the neat rows of small holes they drill into trees to feed on sap .
In Ohio , sapsuckers are seen principally during migration in the spring and evenfall , although some may cover in the northeastern recess of the country where cool , moist forests persist . They prefer deciduous Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree such as birch and maple and can sometimes be found in orchards and timber sharpness . Their unruffled “ mewing ” calls and irregular drumming patterns help differentiate them from other woodpeckers .
A fun fact about Yellow - belly Sapsuckers is that the sap wells they create profit a variety of other animals , include hummingbird , bat , and insects . These birds are considered ecosystem engineer for their contribution to the forest food web — even if their name is often the bailiwick of wit due to its old - fashioned sound .
Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus)
The Black - backed Woodpecker is a rarified visitant to Ohio and is not a species commonly view in the state . It is a intermediate - sized peckerwood , measuring 9.1 to 9.8 inches long with a wingspan of around 15 to 16.5 inches . As the name implies , it has a satisfying mordant back , which helps it blend seamlessly into the charred bark of burn tree . The rest of its eubstance is blanched underneath with barred dark and white flanks , and males exhibit a small yellow patch on the crown .
This peckerwood is typically associated with boreal and montane coniferous tree forests , specially in areas that have recently experienced wildfires . It is a specialist feeder , relying hard on Ellen Price Wood - boring mallet larvae found in dead or dying trees . In Ohio , sighting are passing rarefied and usually require individual birds wandering far from their distinctive chain of mountains , likely driven by solid food scarcity or unusual weather normal .
A especially challenging aspect of the Black - back Woodpecker is its adaptation to post - fire home ground . Unlike most bird that fly glow areas , it moves in to take advantage of the insect boom that follows . Because of this unique behaviour , it is often considered a symbolic representation of bionomic resilience and an index species for timber regeneration .
Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis)
The Red - naped Sapsucker is a salient , medium - sized woodpecker that closely resembles its eastern cousin , the Yellow - bellied Sapsucker . It measures about 7.5 to 8.3 inches in length with a wingspread of roughly 16 inch . Its inglorious - and - snowy patterned plumage is emphasize by a sheer cherry maculation on the crown and a red nape that give the metal money its name . Male and females both have red throat , though females may show more white near the low-down throat . Fine black and white blackball decorates their flanks , and a snowy perpendicular wing bar aid name them from other woodpeckers .
This species is native to the Rocky Mountain region and part of the western United States and is not typically found in Ohio . However , there have been a few rare instances of vagrant individuals appearing in the state , potential during migration or due to navigational errors . When present , they are normally found in wooded areas and may be mistaken for Yellow - belly out Sapsuckers without close inspection . Like other sapsuckers , they exercise horizontal rows of sap wells in tree diagram bark to fee on both sap and the worm it attracts .
A fun fact about the Red - naped Sapsucker is its hybridization zone with the Yellow - bellied Sapsucker , specially in domain of the Great Plains . These hybrids can make recognition unmanageable and provide insights into the evolutionary chronicle of sapsuckers . Though extremely rarefied in Ohio , any confirmed sighting is considered highly renowned by local birders and ornithological records .
Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobates borealis)
The Red - cockaded Woodpecker is a small and uncommon species with distinctive feature and highly specialized home ground needs . measure about 7.9 to 9.1 inches in length with a wingspan of around 14 in , it has a black - and - white blockade back , white cheeks , and a shameful tip . The “ red cockade”—a small streak of redness behind the eye — is typically seeable only on adult males and is quite subtle . Its understated colour contrasts with the bluff plumage of other woodpeckers , make it harder to spot in dense true pine woodland .
This species is list as menace and is principally found in the southeastern United States , where it depends on mature , live pine tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree — especially longleaf pine — for nesting and roosting . In Ohio , Red - cockaded Woodpeckers are virtually absent , with no verified breeding population and only hypothetical records of vagabond . Any such sightings are often questioned or consider potential misidentifications . The metal money has suffered greatly due to habitat loss , particularly the reduction of onetime - growth pine ecosystem .
A remarkable trait of the Red - cockaded Woodpecker is its concerted reproduction system , where syndicate groups work together to raise young and maintain dental caries trees . These woodpeckers cut up their nesting jam in support true pine and cake the entree with resin to deter predators like ophidian . Their social bodily structure and home ground specificity make conservation crusade both critical and complex , contributing to their rarity across much of their historical range .
Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)
The Ivory - billed Woodpecker is the most fabled and elusive woodpecker coinage inNorth America . It is — or was — an tremendous bird , measuring up to 20 inches in duration with a wingspread of 30 inches , rivaling the Pileated Woodpecker in size of it but distinguished by its tusk - color banker’s bill and broad white grading on the wings and back . male also frisk a brilliant crimson crest , while females have an all - black crest . The combination of striking colour and monolithic size made it a truly awe - inspiring presence in its southern swamp habitat .
Historically , the Ivory - bill Woodpecker inhabited bottomland hardwood timber in the southeasterly U.S. , peculiarly in Louisiana , Florida , and South Carolina . Logging and habitat wipeout throughout the 19th and other 20th century decimated its universe , direct to its presumed defunctness by the mid-1900s . While there have been unconfirmed sighting and reports , no irrefutable evidence of a endure population has emerged in decades . It has never been considered part of Ohio ’s established avifauna , and any historical quotation are speculative at well .
A haunting and captivating fact about the Ivory - bill Woodpecker is its symbolical persona as the “ ghost raspberry ” of American ornithology . Efforts to site surviving person have sweep 10 and inspired documentary film , expeditions , and passionate argumentation among expert . Though officially list as “ Critically Endangered ” or “ Possibly Extinct , ” it continues to capture the imagination of birders and natural scientist worldwide , defend both the frangibleness of ecosystems and the enduring promise for rediscovery .
