Woodpeckers in Iowa contribute to the state ’s vibrant avian biodiversity , captivating birdwatchers with their distinctive conduct and appearances . From the energetic drumming of the Downy Woodpecker in urban context to the majestic presence of the Pileated Woodpecker in old woodlands , these feathered dweller play a crucial role in Iowa ’s ecosystems .
Whether you ’re strolling through parks , explore golf courses , or simply enjoying the repose of suburban backyards , luck are you ’ll bump the rhythmic sounds and vivacious plumage of these enthralling pecker .
The clause below will provide you with information about 11woodpecker speciesfound in Iowa , along with simulacrum and their place characteristic .
Different types of woodpeckers in Iowa
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
pass its twelvemonth - round availability , the Northern Flicker is a fantastic alternative for novice birdwatchers in Iowa when it comes towoodpeckeraccessibility . Northern Flickers move to warmer climates in the wintertime ; a sizable population of these raspberry is seen in Iowa . The boo travel to Alaska and Canada . These woodpecker live in arborical configurations like parks , cemeteries , and residential neighborhoods .
The vast sizing of northerly flickers is what sets them apart ; their strong-arm feature variegate according on the gender and age ; on average , they are between 30 and 35 curium long , 4 and 7 troy ounce heavy , and have a wingspread of 54.1 cm . Their back and breast are speckled with pitch-dark , and their overall color is a grayish John Brown . When they are in flight , their superb clean plumage surrounding their nates are extremely seeable . In the easterly United States , which include Iowa , they have icteric or red dress suit .
During the spring coupling time of year , the strait of Northern Flickers is easy identifiable . Unlike other woodpeckers that trace in trees , northerly glint feed on dirt ball like caterpillar , emmet , beetle , and termite by toil holes in the ground .
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
The Downy Woodpecker ( Dryobates pubescens ) , albeit the smallest peckerwood in Iowa and the United States , is every mo as fascinating as its larger state counterpart .
Rather than migrate , downy peckerwood live yr - round in Iowa due to the state ’s consistent weather condition . They nest in backyard , parks , forests , groves , and both rural and urban place ; they reside in tree pit . A suet birdfeeder attend in your railyard will pull in them in the wintertime calendar month in Iowa .
The dashed wing , white bureau , and black and white feathers of downy woodpeckers set them apart from their hairy counterpart , despite their lesser stature . Adult Male ’ heads are spot with crimson .
Downy peckerwood thump tight on trees and make richly - pitched , whining noise when they tag territory or explore for a Paraguay tea . Their wide dieting admit cereals , berry , peanuts , sunflowerseeds , acorns , suet , and other insects in addition to hunting for ants , caterpillars , beetle larvae , and other insects .
Hairy Woodpecker
The Hairy Woodpecker pose its name from the longsighted , train of thought - like ashen feathers on its all - black back . These medium - sized birds are less coarse in Iowa than Northern spark , but they are nevertheless visible in parks , cemeteries , backyard boo tributary , and suburban wooded areas .
Since they ordinarily nest in dead trees , Hairy Woodpeckers do n’t migrate ; instead , they continue in one fix and become more unmistakable in the winter . Some of their unique features are their black and white plume , pastel bellies , and long beaks . They count between one and four ounces , with an average length of 18 to 26 cm and a wingspread of 35 cm .
The virile Hairy Woodpecker may be easy distinguished from the distaff thanks to a ruby-red maculation on his nape . Male drum swiftly on trees and shout out out in a high - frequency , piercing manner .
The primary nutrient source for Hairy Woodpeckers is beetle and ant larvae , along with caterpillars , spiders , and bees .
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
The Yellow - Bellied Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus varius ) , despite its little size , is the most extensively dispel woodpecker in Iowa . It breeds throughout Canada ’s coast and return to Iowa for the winter .
In the off - time of year , these sapsuckers inhabit many regions of Iowa , preferring marvelous trees in woodland setting over suet feeders in domicile . Their berm yield a streak that helps identify them as medium - sized , contraband - and - white creatures . Both sex range in size from 1.5 to 2 ounces , 20 cm long , and have an average wingspan of 37 atomic number 96 . Males have red foreheads and throats , while female have less vivacious yellow and white throats . As the name indicate , they have wan yellow underbellies .
Bellied in Yellow During mating time of year , sapsuckers make a distinctive nasal mewing sound and a territorial , screaming , repeated call . Wild berries , fruits , flying insects , sap , and sapwood make up their food .
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
Red - belly out Woodpeckers ( Melanerpes carolinus ) are average - sized pecker that are easily identify in Iowa timberland by their bright blood-red crowns and black and white stripy backs .
These twelvemonth - round inhabitants of Iowa like to drum and build their nests in woodland area and on oak tree and hickory trees ; they often give back to the same tree diagram class after year . Because of their like reddish heads , red - belly and red-faced - headed woodpeckers are sometimes mistaken . Red - belly out peckerwood are small and have creamy white bellies . Both sexes have black and white striped feather that pass weights of 2 to 3.2 ounces , lengths of 22 to 27 centimetre , and intermediate wingspans of 42 cm . The nape and crown of males are red , whereas the scruff of female is blood-red .
From other winter until belated springiness , manful red - bellied woodpecker can be heard making a pounding sound on trees in an endeavor to tempt female . It is both sexes that roll “ churr ” or “ kwirr ” calls . Red - bellied woodpeckers in Iowa waste more fruit — like wild berries — than insects , in contrast to other woodpecker mintage .
Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
The Red - Headed Woodpecker ( Melanerpes erythrocephalus ) is a woodpecker that is less frequent than other woodpecker , although it is still visible in Iowa during the summer and winter . Seldom seen , it is breathtakingly gorgeous , adding to the memorable nature of the meeting .
Although they live in Iowa all twelvemonth round , the population of these woodpeckers has decreased due to home ground deprivation . backyard can attractbirds for observation , specially in the wintertime , by adding citrus or suet to bird bird feeder . They inhabit woodlands , parks , woodlet , and forests with fallen trees for nesting .
youthful violent - headed woodpeckers are non-white brownish to black in appearance , with pale red cheek and white berth on their wings . When they reach maturity , theirwings turn full blackand their underside Stanford White , with their heads , necks , and nape changing to a abstruse , velvety deep red . grownup can reach average size of it measurements of 21 to 25 centimeter in length , 35 curium in width , and 2 to 3.5 ounces in weight .
In addition to chirping and chuckling , flushed - Headed Woodpeckers are most greet for their “ shrill tchur , ” a high - pitched call with less rolling .
These peckerwood scrounge for Nut and seed , which they bury in tree barque or hollows to stockpile for the winter . Additionally , they have a habit only peckerwood have : they vanish up and get together insect .
Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis)
Because of logging , the Red - cockaded Woodpecker is the only species of peckerwood that has been categorized as endanger since 1970 . The legal age of these woodpeckers in Iowa live in areas with longleaf pines , and state - wide conservation initiatives are mean to protect their continue selection .
These pecker are medium - sized , have black and white feathers , a ignominious chapeau , a black-market nape , and white facial plume . Only the males have red stripes on their cheeks . When frightened or uncertain , they make a unique , raspy “ sklit ” call , and they also have a even call that sounds like a normal “ churt . ”
Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)
One of the world ’s most dainty woodpeckers , the off-white - placard woodpecker sadly went extinct in 1944 ; the last known sighting was in Louisiana . After a sighting was reported in easterly Iowa in 2015 , follower ’ fervor and optimism were rekindled .
Ongoing debates interest the bird ’s world have been spark by more sightings and initiatives to restore its habitat . doubter debate that these outcome could be confused with the very similar Pileated Woodpecker , which is distinguish by its deep white back .
Because the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service extended the species status review to January 2023 as of July 2022 , there is a chance that Ivory - bill Woodpeckers will outlive .
Lewis’ Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis)
Lewis ’ Woodpeckers ( Melanerpes lewis ) , which have only been seen four time at Mount Sequoyah , are currently regarded as an inadvertent or rarespecies in Iowa and have been put on the yellowwatch tilt because of their declining numbers . These woodpeckers are easily recognized by their bootleg heads , ruby cheek , black wings , grayish neckband with a smattering of blank plume on the chest , and pinkish and red underbody .
Adults are among the largest woodpeckers in Iowa , count between 3.1 and 4.9 ounces and having a wingspan of 19.3 to 20.5 inches . They valuate from 10.2 and 11.0 inches in duration . Lewis ’ Woodpeckers do well in pine , white basswood , paper birch , and any other beat or crumble Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . It ’s remarkable to note that they seldom build their own nests , preferring to reside in others that other pecker have make .
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
The gorgeous Pileated Woodpeckers , a protected specie that requires tending when taking images or videos , entice visitors to Iowa .
Pileated woodpeckers inhabit dead trees , old woodlands , and forests with fallen logs in Iowa . They live there all class round . They are also found in many other places , let in backyard in suburban and rural areas , parks , and golf game courses .
These woodpecker are inexorable about not moving , choose to live their entire lives in a certain town or DoS , unless they experience that the danger to their nest and ball is too great . The crimson crest on the black and clean striped back of Pileated Woodpeckers stands out against their otherwise crow - same proportion . There could be a ruby stripe down the side of men ’s faces .
Adults can develop to a maximal length of 40 to 50 atomic number 96 , librate 8 to 13 ounce , and have an average wingspread of 70 cm , making them one of the largest woodpeckers in Iowa . observer may be cue of the Woody Woodpecker animated cartoon figure by their amazing coming into court , which was patently based on thiskind of Bronx cheer .
With up to 30 taps in a second , Pileated Woodpeckers can bring on astonishing drumming sounds , specially reckon their size . Both sexes cram year - stave in an attempt to attract possible mates or stake out territory .
The Pileated Woodpecker ’s favorite food source is carpenter ants , which it forages for on the priming coat and in dead Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . They attach their discovery to branches by occasionally consuming fruit and nuts .
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