Nuttall's woodpecker

Nuttall's Woodpecker is common in groves of live oak and chaparral west of the Sierra mountains in the state of California and extends south into the top of the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico.

The Nuttall's woodpecker is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

Nuttall's Woodpecker from the Mexican Boundary Survey Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae Genus: Picoides Species: P. More

Nuttall's Woodpecker, Picoides nuttallii, is a species of woodpecker named after naturalist Thomas Nuttall. More

The Nuttall's Woodpecker is very similar to the Ladder-backed Woodpecker, but their ranges only barely overlap. The back and wings are barred black-and-white, and the outer tail is spotted rather than barred. The undersides are white with spotting on the flanks. The red on the male Nuttall's head extends only to mid-crown while the red on the Ladder-backed extends to the forehead. More

Sierra Nevada from southern Nuttall's Woodpecker distribution mapOregon to northern Baja California, Mexico. Breeding habitat Occurs in oak woodlands, live oak forests, and chaparral, and in canyons with sycamores, alders, cottonwoods, and bay trees growing along streams lined with live oaks. Requires snags and dead limbs for nest excavation. Frequents a mix of deciduous riparian and adjacent oak habitats. More

The range of the Nuttall's Woodpecker lies west of the southern Cascade Mountains and in the Sierra Nevada from southern Oregon to northern Baja California. Nuttall's Woodpeckers are most common in the oak woodlands of northern California. In other more arid areas, these woodpeckers inhabit deciduous trees alongside streams as well as oak scrublands and chaparral. Nuttall's Woodpecker Range Map The Nuttall's Woodpecker closely resembles the more widespread Ladder-backed Woodpecker (P. scalaris). More

* The Nuttall's Woodpecker was named after naturalist Thomas Nuttall. * Its limited range, low density, and close association with oak woodlands and riparian zones make it vulnerable to development that encroaches on its habitat. * When foraging, males tend to work on the trunk and larger branches, while females use the smaller branches. More

Nuttall's Woodpecker, but has much less black on its head and upper back, and the range of the two species only intersects a minimal amount in southern California and northern Baja California. Hybrids are known. Comparison of Ladder-backed (above) and Nuttall's Woodpeckers Ladder-backed Woodpeckers nest in cavities excavated from tree trunks, or in more arid environments a large cactus will do. The female lays between 2 and 7 eggs, which are plain white. More

This male Nuttall's Woodpecker (right) was bringing food to nest hole just outside our bedroom window in June 2002. We had left a tall stub of this dead Monterey pine when we had to remove the top-heavy canopy for safety reasons, and the next year we were rewarded with a pair of Nuttall's that fledged a youngster. The tree stub would eventually crumble in high winter winds a few years later, but "our" family of these attractive little woodpeckers still frequents the neighborhood. More

Nuttall's Woodpecker of California. Nuttall’s Woodpecker The Nuttall’s Woodpecker is very similar in appearance to the Ladder Backed woodpecker. Identified by their black head, white throat and belly, black spots on their breast and black wings and rump, the adult female has a black forehead, crown and cap while the adult male has a red crown and black forehead. More