ComingsBirds.com/Arizona

Spring Migration Hot Spot

With bold, coarse, back and white ladders on its back the Ladder-backed Woodpecker is well named. Other woodpeckers with similar backs include the Gila, Red-bellied, Golden-fronted and Nuttall’s Woodpeckers.

The Nuttall’s and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers have back spots and short lines on a white breast and flanks (7453 and 7912). By contrast, the Gila, Red-bellied and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers have plain pale brown to white breast and flanks and the Golden-fronted Woodpecker has a golden yellow nape of its neck.

The Nuttall’s Woodpecker is most similar to the Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Both have black and white spotted flanks. The distinguishing features of the Nuttall’s and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers are the white checks surrounded by black bands of the Ladder-backed Woodpecker compared to the mostly black checks surrounded by white bands of Nuttall’s Woodpecker.

The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is common throughout the southwestern desserts while Nuttall’s is restricted to California. The males have a red crown, the females do not (7453 and 7912). The front of the red crown has black and white speckling (9834 and 9826).

Sally got a photo of two at a time, lined up on the telephone pole 8662. All photos were taken at Battiste’s Bed and Birds or the Cave Creak Ranch.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker