Nuttall’s WoodpeckerPicoides nuttalli is distinguished from the similar Ladder-backed woodpecker by having a solid black bar at the top of the back and a smaller patch of red on the top of its head. Its range is restricted to California while the Ladder-backed Woodpecker is ranges throughout the southwestern U.S.
These photos were taken at Wrightwood, CA and at the Peck Road Water Conservation Area, Arcadia, CA.