Black-backed Woodpecker

Picoides arcticusOrder: PICIFORMES Family: Woodpeckers (Picidae)

Codes: Common Name: BBWO Scientific Name: PICARC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178250

Breeding Location:

Forests, coniferous, Forest edge, Mountains

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Uncommon to fairly common

Egg Color:

White

Number of Eggs:

2 - 6

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Cavity lined with chips.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Black-backed Woodpecker: Small woodpecker with solid black back, barred flanks, and white underparts. Head has a conspicuous white cheek mark and yellow crown. Female has solid black crown.

Range and Habitat

Black-backed Woodpecker: Resident in Alaska, Canada, and northern U.S. Preferred habitats include coniferous forests in the boreal zone, especially where burned, logged, or swampy.

Breeding and Nesting

Black-backed Woodpecker: Two to six white eggs are laid in a cavity excavated in a tree, often close to the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Black-backed Woodpecker: Diet includes mainly insects such as wood-boring beetles, grubs, weevils, ants, other beetles, and spiders. Also feeds on berries and other small fruits, acorns, and nuts.

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed, Nuts, Sugar Water, Fruit

Vocalization

Black-backed Woodpecker: Song is a sharp or hard "kik" or "pik"; drums on trees during the breeding season.

Similar Species

Black-backed Woodpecker: American Three-toed Woodpecker has black-and-white bars down center of back. Hairy Woodpecker has white back and unmarked white underparts.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Black-backed Woodpecker

Black-backed Woodpecker: Small woodpecker with black back, black wings with white spots on flight feathers, barred flanks, white underparts. Head has a conspicuous white cheek mark and yellow crown. Tail is black with white outer tail feathers. Black bill is long and stout. Legs and feet are gray.

● Song: "pick", "chik", "kik"

● Foraging & Feeding: Black-backed Woodpecker: Diet includes mainly insects such as wood-boring beetles, grubs, weevils, ants, other beetles, and spiders. Also feeds on berries and other small fruits, acorns, and nuts.

● Breeding & nesting: Black-backed Woodpecker: Two to six white eggs are laid in a cavity excavated in a tree, often close to the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Black-backed Woodpecker: American Three-toed Woodpecker has black-and-white bars down center of back. Hairy Woodpecker has white back and unmarked white underparts.

Flight Pattern

Alternates powerful flaps with glides.

Black-backed Woodpecker Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Black-backed Woodpecker: Resident in Alaska, Canada, and northern U.S. Preferred habitats include coniferous forests in the boreal zone, especially where burned, logged, or swampy.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationUncommon to fairly common

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight2.5 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Crown

The crown is the top part of the birds head.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America