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Woodpeckers are one of the most absorbing avians you may receive in your backyard – and did you know that there are7 species in Indiana ?
There ’s a dear prospect that if you have more than one pecker visiting you , you may actually be play legion to a few dissimilar species !
Legend for the following woodpecker migration and range maps
Although the list below contains all the common woodpeckers find in Indiana , it ’s possible to see a vagrant species of woodpecker that ’s not native to this finical state . If you do see a vagrant specie , it should be consider an exceedingly rarified sighting !
The follow fable can be used for each woodpecker species map to determine what sentence of year you may see each peckerwood in your area .
7 woodpecker species are discover in Indiana , including the Downy Woodpecker , Northern Flicker , cherry - headed Woodpecker , Red - belly Woodpecker , Pileated Woodpecker , Yellow - belly out Sapsucker , and Hairy Woodpecker . Several of these peckerwood species are permanent occupier , while others are much rare and can be only blob seasonally .
Legend for the following woodpecker migration and range maps
The 7 Woodpecker Species in Indiana
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
edict : Piciformes
fellowship : Picidae
Size:5.5 – 6.7 in ( 14 – 17 curium )
in truth tiny , the cute sericeous woodpecker is a Picidae that ’s common across the north to central states . In fact , they are the smallest native woodpecker in the land . They lean to choose milder climates on the whole but are known to travel around . They use acute , individual calls , and be given to enjoy feed in on cum in feeders . If you have any woodpeckers in your backyard , there is a very good hazard it is a Dryobates pubescens . They are just bigger than your rough-cut garden true sparrow .
Exceptionally small but unabashedly noisy , the downy peckerwood is for the most part pitch-black and livid with patch , and the males be given to have ruby-red crowns . They have varying spots and stripes across their wings and feathers – meaning that neither one nor two may ever appear the same !
The downlike woodpecker lives just about everywhere across the United States , with sighting across land as diverse as Florida and Alaska ! If the climate is soft enough – and not too sunny – then there ’s every opportunity you ’ll spot this bird in your curtilage . There are around 13 million of them across the continent .
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Size:11.0 – 12.2 in ( 28 – 31 cm )
This Picidae is known by many , many different names – and you may well have seen it referred to as the Yellow or red-faced - shafted Flicker . It ’s a fairly common razz and is also one of the largest woodpeckers living across the states . Unlike most pecker , however , they tend to banquet in the main on primer insects – pismire , in particular ! This Flicker will take to skip around to eat , but may even opt to site itself on branches occasionally when it project a yield treat or two .
The Northern Flicker has feather colors that can vary ( hence its many name ) , but you’re able to commonly blot these snort thanks to their flecked tails and wings . They often have black grading around their faces and crests , and you ’ll be capable to tell them apart from other Picidae on sheer size alone .
Northern Flickers run to live out east but can be found luxuriously up in the northwest range of Alaska , and even down towards the west coast – that applies to the yellow - chouse variety , in any case ! Flickers of this genus tend to be fairly coarse across the US , with almost ten million specimen calculate at present in North America .
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Size:7.5 – 9.1 in ( 19 – 23 curium )
This heavy , boldly - discolor hoot is a wonderful flock for many , and while you might not hear it call too often , its rattle and drumming on tree will belike be a coarse speech sound across its aboriginal states . However , it does n’t in reality peck at tree for food – it snatches take flight beasts as they quiver yesteryear . This pecker has sadly settle in number over the age due to food scarcity . However , when it ca n’t snatch up a bug or two , it blithely feasts on nuts and acorn .
Their name is a giveaway – they have shiny cherry-red Crown and heads , with white body feather and monochrome wing and bum . You likely wo n’t try their call too obstreperously .
These acorn - foraging fowl frequent the easterly to central states , stretching up as far as outer Canada . They lean to enjoy the warmer reaches , however , as they will frequent spots in Florida and down in New Mexico .
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Size:9.4 in ( 24 cm )
Increasingly vulgar , the red - bellied pecker tends to enjoy flocking to backyard eater and has a call you might just recognize . They only ever drum during mating or attraction , and if you ’ve ever tried to tell these skirt apart in price of grammatical gender – it ’s almost impossible on glimpse alone . This is a mid - sized bird that does n’t tend to do too much damage to tree , it ’s one of the aristocratical woodpeckers you ’ll encounter in the US natural state . They run to favour pecking by at hardwood and will flock to woodland when they are n’t at the feeder .
The red - bellied peckerwood , of course , has a red stomach , but you will mainly know it for its ruby - tinged crown and its bar - coat feathers , as well as a brown - colored front and face . Again , it ’s hard to say the males and females aside .
These peckerwood be given to be vulgar sights out towards the east and southeasterly states , from Texas out to Florida . They do n’t tend to move around too much , particularly as they will steal nesting pip from other birds !
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Size:15.8 – 19.3 in ( 40 – 49 cm )
magnanimous and loud , this woodpecker is fairly easy to notice – specially as their mating yell are so trenchant ! Rather tragically , this beefy Picidae is sometimes mistaken for a woodpecker that ’s thought to now be nonextant – the pearl - billed woodpecker , which has n’t been seen in the US for many class . The pileated woodpecker , almost crowlike in height , tend to junket on pismire and minibeasts found deep in decaying trees . This metal money ’ hole - making can aid give shelter to other animals – making it a welcome sight .
Beyond their loud cry and wood rapping , the pileated pecker has a lurid ruddy crown , with monochromatic bodies and long , flimsy nib . The male of the coinage is easy to pick out as it has a facial mark rather like a mustache .
The pileated woodpecker does n’t tend to be too quicksilver about where it likes to live . However , you ’ll principally find it living out in eastern commonwealth , though as far north as Nova Scotia ! If you ’re a California aborigine , it ’s also not unheard of to spot this common family Picidae .
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Size:7.1 – 8.7 in ( 18 – 22 atomic number 96 )
This pecker is a variety of hoot that will happily bore pickle to booze tasty sap from within , something that ’s very welcoming to other species . These birds are middling similar to other sapsucker in terms of doings and in term of looks . xanthous - bellied sapsucker be given to be very singular drillers – you will likely recognize their staggered pecking if they happen upon wood or metallic element near your yard . These birds are known for pecking and making nests extremely high up – over 6,000 feet in the air .
As the name suggests , you will normally be capable to spot a yellow - belly out sapsucker for its bright venter , however , it often has a ruby-red crown and nape , with arresting shameful and white bars and flecks down its physical structure , tail , and wings .
The Yellow - bellied Sapsucker is the most migrant woodpecker in the man , breed as far north as easterly Arkansas and the northerly boreal timber , and wintering as far south as Panama and the Caribbean . Much like other US aboriginal sapsuckers , this hoot will commonly be discover in forest spots , though this species will migrate from the key plains and lower midwest southward towards the Occident of the Appalachians .
Hairy Woodpecker
Dryobates villosus
Size:7.1 – 10.2 in ( 18 – 26 atomic number 96 )
If there is a chance you ’re travel to spot a peckerwood in your backyard somewhere in the country , then it ’s in all likelihood going to be a hirsute species ! The Dryobates villosus is passing common , but it ’s in reality fairly shy and retiring . They have very mere calls but will be happy to drill and drum on just about anything . They are also choice opportunists – they ’ll slip sap from holes drill by other wench ! The hirsute woodpecker is also known for its mighty peck – it looks small , but it drill forte !
The hirsute woodpecker naturally has a reasonably hairy visual aspect , though it ’s also notable for its comparatively farseeing , pointed bill , as well as its clear-cut black and white coloring . Some mintage , however , can extend a chocolate-brown tint . They are loosely white to the chest and are speckle to the wings .
Where to set out ? This Picidae does n’t tend to be fussy about climate , though you ’ll unremarkably see it amongst coniferous tree . There are more than eight million of these birds across the continent , and their numbers game are growing – there are no particular states where they are most prolific .
How to Attract Indiana Woodpeckers to Your Yard
Want to see more peckerwood in your backyard ?
As you may see , there are more than a few marvellous woodpecker species to look out for across Indiana . Some may not cluster to gardens and backyards in favour of forest and timberland get through – however , there ’s a chance a rare bird or two may make its room to you .
If you ’re great to set off spotting woodpeckers in your yard , why not take a facial expression at our pathfinder onhow to attract woodpeckers ? That ’ll give you the basics of what ’s required to attract woodpeckers .
Then , we ’d recommend reading our buyer ’s pathfinder onchoosing the best peckerwood affluent . Setting up a pecker feeder or two is the expert elbow room to vouch that woodpecker will visit your chiliad . While you ’re at it , do verify to read our full scout onwhat to feed woodpeckers , too – as getting their dieting right will make a set of difference !
There are a bunch of other way to attract woodpeckers such asgetting a bird bathand planting native tree that woodpeckers enjoy .
All State Woodpeckers
require to see what woodpecker specie are found in other states ? Here ’s our stark list of woodpeckers retrieve in each state :
