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peckerwood are one of the most fascinating avians you may get in your backyard – and did you love that there are7 species in Massachusetts ?
There ’s a good opportunity that if you have more than one woodpecker visiting you , you may actually be playact host to a few unlike species !
Legend for the following woodpecker migration and range maps
Although the list below contains all the common woodpeckers found in Massachusetts , it ’s potential to discover a floating specie of woodpecker that ’s not native to this special state . If you do see a vagrant species , it should be considered an extremely rare sighting !
The follow legend can be used for each woodpecker species map to settle what time of twelvemonth you may see each woodpecker in your area .
7 woodpecker species are find in Massachusetts , including the Red - headed Woodpecker , Northern Flicker , Red - belly out Woodpecker , Yellow - bellied Sapsucker , Pileated Woodpecker , Hairy Woodpecker , and Downy Woodpecker . Several of these woodpecker species are permanent resident , while others are much rare and can be only spotted seasonally .
Legend for the following woodpecker migration and range maps
The 7 Woodpecker Species in Massachusetts
Red-headed Woodpecker
genus Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Order : order Piciformes
Family : Picidae
Size:7.5 – 9.1 in ( 19 – 23 cm )
This large , boldly - colored bird is a wonderful sight for many , and while you might not find out it call too often , its rattles and drumming on trees will likely be a coarse audio across its aboriginal land . However , it does n’t in reality nag at trees for food – it snatch flying beasts as they flitter past . This pecker has unhappily fall in numbers over the years due to food scarceness . However , when it ca n’t snatch a microbe or two , it happily junket on ball and acorn .
Their name is a game show – they have brilliant violent pate and head , with bloodless trunk feathers and black and white wing and tails . You probably wo n’t hear their telephone call too loudly .
These acorn - foraging Bronx cheer frequent the eastern to central states , stretching up as far as outer Canada . They incline to enjoy the warmer reaches , however , as they will frequent spots in Florida and down in New Mexico .
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 crimson - shafted Flicker . It ’s a fairly common bird and is also one of the large woodpeckers living across the commonwealth . Unlike most peckers , however , they tend to banquet mainly on ground insect – ants , in special ! This Flicker will choose to hop around to eat , but may even prefer to place itself on branches occasionally when it fancies a fruit treat or two .
The Northern Flicker has plumage colour that can variegate ( hence its many names ) , but you could ordinarily blot these Bronx cheer thanks to their flecked fanny and wings . They often have black markings around their faces and crests , and you ’ll be capable to recite them aside from other Picidae on gossamer size of it alone .
Northern Flickers tend to live out east but can be found high up in the northwest reaches of Alaska , and even down towards the west coast – that applies to the yellow - chouse variety , in any face ! Flickers of this genus tend to be fairly common across the US , with almost ten million specimens estimate at present in North America .
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Size:9.4 in ( 24 curium )
Increasingly common , the ruby-red - bellied peckerwood tends to enjoy constellate to backyard feeders and has a call you might just recognize . They only ever drum during pairing or attractor , and if you ’ve ever tried to tell these birds aside in footing of grammatical gender – it ’s almost impossible on glance alone . This is a mid - sized bird that does n’t run to do too much damage to trees , it ’s one of the gentler woodpeckers you ’ll find in the US wilds . They tend to favor pecking away at hardwoods and will flock to wood when they are n’t at the bird feeder .
The violent - bellied woodpecker , of course , has a red stomach , but you will primarily make out it for its crimson - tinged crown and its taproom - coated feathers , as well as a brown - colored front and nerve . Again , it ’s hard to secern the males and female apart .
These woodpeckers incline to be common sights out towards the east and southeastern states , from Texas out to Florida . They do n’t tend to move around too much , in particular as they will slip nesting maculation from other shuttlecock !
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Size:7.1 – 8.7 in ( 18 – 22 curium )
This woodpecker is a mixed bag of bird that will jubilantly drill holes to drink in tasty saphead from within , something that ’s very welcoming to other species . These birds are fairly similar to other sapsuckers in full term of demeanor and in term of looks . icteric - bellied sapsuckers be given to be very unequaled drillers – you will likely distinguish their staggered pecking if they happen upon wood or metallic element near your thou . These birds are known for pecking and make nest passing high up – over 6,000 foundation in the atmosphere .
As the name suggests , you will normally be able to spot a yellow - bellied sapsucker for its bright stomach , however , it often has a reddish crown and nape , with stunning fateful and blank bar and blob down its body , tail , and wing .
The Yellow - bellied Sapsucker is the most migrant woodpecker in the world , breeding as far north as eastern Arkansas and the northerly boreal woodland , and wintering as far to the south as Panama and the Caribbean . Much like other US aboriginal sapsucker , this snort will normally be establish in woodland daub , though this coinage will migrate from the central field and lower midwest southward towards the Occident of the Appalachians .
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Size:15.8 – 19.3 in ( 40 – 49 cm )
Large and cheap , this woodpecker is fairly easy to comment – particularly as their mating cries are so decided ! Rather tragically , this husky Picidae is sometimes mistaken for a woodpecker that ’s imagine to now be extinct – the off-white - bill pecker , which has n’t been seen in the US for many years . The pileated woodpecker , almost crowlike in height , tends to feed on ants and minibeasts base late in decaying trees . This species ’ hole - making can help give shelter to other animals – shit it a welcome pile .
Beyond their loud cries and Grant Wood rapping , the pileated pecker has a disgraceful red crown , with monochromatic bodies and long , thin beaks . The male person of the mintage is easy to spot as it has a facial marker rather like a moustache .
The pileated woodpecker does n’t incline to be too fickle about where it care to live . However , you ’ll in the main find it hold up out in eastern states , though as far north as Nova Scotia ! If you ’re a California native , it ’s also not unheard of to spot this vulgar Picidae .
Hairy Woodpecker
Dryobates villosus
Size:7.1 – 10.2 in ( 18 – 26 atomic number 96 )
If there is a chance you ’re work to blemish a peckerwood in your backyard somewhere in the states , then it ’s probably going to be a hirsute species ! The Dryobates villosus is extremely mutual , but it ’s actually fairly diffident and retiring . They have very dewy-eyed call but will be felicitous to drill and bone on just about anything . They are also prime opportunists – they ’ll steal sap from holes drill by other birds ! The haired peckerwood is also fuck for its mighty muckle – it looks modest , but it bore loudly !
The haired pecker naturally has a fairly hairy visual aspect , though it ’s also noteworthy for its comparatively long , pointed bill , as well as its distinct black-market and white colouring . Some species , however , can gestate a chocolate-brown tint . They are in general white to the chest and are speckled to the wing .
Where to start ? This Picidae does n’t tend to be fussy about climate , though you ’ll normally see it amongst coniferous tree . There are more than eight million of these birds across the continent , and their numbers are grow – there are no particular states where they are most prolific .
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Size:5.5 – 6.7 in ( 14 – 17 curium )
genuinely tiny , the cunning pubescent woodpecker is a Picidae that ’s common across the north to central states . In fact , they are the small aboriginal woodpeckers in the country . They tend to favor milder climates on the whole but are known to travel around . They use sharp , single calls , and lean to enjoy feeding on source in feeder . If you have any pecker in your backyard , there is a very good prospect it is a Dryobates pubescens . They are just bigger than your common garden sparrow .
Exceptionally small but unabashedly noisy , the downy woodpecker is for the most part black and whitened with spots , and the Male tend to have crimson crowns . They have varying spots and stripes across their backstage and feather – meaning that neither one nor two may ever seem the same !
The downy woodpecker lives just about everywhere across the United States , with sighting across states as diverse as Florida and Alaska ! If the mood is mild enough – and not too cheery – then there ’s every chance you ’ll spy this bird in your chiliad . There are around 13 million of them across the continent .
How to Attract Massachusetts Woodpeckers to Your Yard
Want to see more woodpeckers in your backyard ?
As you may see , there are more than a few wonderful woodpecker species to take care out for across Massachusetts . Some may not flock to gardens and backyard in favour of forests and woodland reach – however , there ’s a fortune a rarefied bird or two may make its room to you .
If you ’re nifty to start spotting woodpeckers in your yard , why not take a looking at at our templet onhow to pull in pecker ? That ’ll give you the staple of what ’s require to attract woodpeckers .
Then , we ’d advocate reading our buyer ’s scout onchoosing the best woodpecker feeder . Setting up a woodpecker feeder or two is the best elbow room to guarantee that woodpeckers will impose your yard . While you ’re at it , do check that to read our full guide onwhat to feed in woodpeckers , too – as getting their dieting right will make a lot of difference of opinion !
There are a bunch of other ways to pull woodpeckers such asgetting a fowl bathand planting native trees that woodpeckers love .
All State Woodpeckers
Want to see what pecker mintage are find in other state ? Here ’s our pure lean of woodpeckers found in each land :
