Black-backed woodpecker
The Black-backed woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker found in the boreal forests of North America. Adults are predominantly black with white undersides and males sport a distinctive yellow cap. This species is a specialist in burnt forests, often feeding on insect outbreaks in recently burned trees.
Key Facts
- ›Inhabits boreal forests across North America, including Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northwestern United States.
- ›Adults have black plumage on the head, back, wings, and rump, with white from throat to belly.
- ›Adult males possess a yellow cap, a form of sexual dimorphism.
- ›It is a specialist in burnt forests, feeding on wood-boring beetles found in recently burned trees.
- ›Has three-toed feet, a characteristic shared with the American and Eurasian three-toed woodpeckers.
- ›Generally non-migratory but can undertake intermittent irruptions.
Arctic Three-Toed Woodpecker
North America
Boreal Forest, Burnt Forest
Yellow Cap, Three-Toed Feet
Wood-Boring Beetles, Engraver Beetles, Mountain Pine Beetle
Pecking, Gleaning Off Branches
Dead Trees
Single, Sharp 'Pik' Call Note
About Black-backed woodpecker
The Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus), also known as the Arctic three-toed woodpecker, is a medium-sized woodpecker species inhabiting the extensive boreal forests of North America. Its distinctive plumage features black upperparts, a black head, back, wings, and rump, contrasted by white from the throat to the belly, with white flanks marked by black bars. A notable element of sexual dimorphism is the adult male's possession of a yellow cap.
Habitat and Ecology
This species is particularly associated with burnt forest environments, where it thrives by exploiting outbreaks of wood-boring beetles, such as those in the families Cerambycidae and Buprestidae, that infest recently burned trees. The Black-backed Woodpecker obtains most of its food through pecking, with a smaller proportion gleaned from branches. While generally non-migratory, historical records indicate intermittent irruptions.
Breeding and Nesting
Nest excavation typically occurs in April and May. A fresh nest is drilled annually into the sapwood of dead trees. The female lays a clutch of three or four eggs. Incubation duties are shared between both parents, though the male incubates exclusively during the night. The young are altricial and are brooded until the nestling phase. Both parents actively feed the chicks, which fledge approximately 24 days after hatching. Abandoned nests of the Black-backed Woodpecker are often utilized by other bird species for nesting.
Physical Characteristics
Measuring around 23 cm (9.1 inches) in length, the Black-backed Woodpecker weighs between 60–88 g (2.1–3.1 oz) with a wingspan of 40–42 cm (15.8–16.5 in). A unique characteristic, shared with its close relatives, the American and Eurasian three-toed woodpeckers, is its three-toed foot structure. The call note of the Black-backed Woodpecker is described as a single, sharp 'pik,' which is lower in pitch than that of the American three-toed woodpecker.
Source: Wikipedia ↗
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the scientific name of the Black-backed woodpecker?
The scientific name of the Black-backed woodpecker is Picoides arcticus. This binomial name was coined by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1832. The specific epithet 'arcticus' is the Latin word for 'northern' or 'arctic'.
Where does the Black-backed woodpecker live?
The Black-backed woodpecker's breeding range covers the boreal forests of Canada, Alaska, and the Northwestern United States. It is also found in areas like northern Wisconsin, the Adirondacks in New York, New England, Minnesota, and Upper Michigan.
What does the Black-backed woodpecker eat?
This woodpecker is a burnt-forest specialist, primarily feeding on outbreaks of wood-boring beetles, especially those in the families Cerambycidae and Buprestidae. It also consumes engraver beetles and the mountain pine beetle.
What are the physical characteristics of the Black-backed woodpecker?
Adults are mainly black on their upperparts and white on their undersides, with black barring on the flanks. Males have a distinctive yellow cap. They are medium-sized birds, measuring about 23 cm (9.1 inches) in length, and possess three-toed feet.
Do Black-backed woodpeckers migrate?
Black-backed woodpeckers are generally non-migratory. However, historically, they have been known to undertake intermittent irruptions, suggesting some movement patterns beyond typical local residency.
How does the Black-backed woodpecker nest?
Nesting occurs in April and May, with a new nest excavated each year into the sapwood of dead trees. Both parents share incubation duties, and both feed the altricial chicks, which fledge after approximately 24 days.
Related Woodpecker species
American three-toed woodpecker
The American three-toed woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker found in North American coniferous forests. It is characterized by its black and white plumage, with males displaying a distinctive yellow cap. These birds are strongly associated with insect-infested trees, often following disturbances like forest fires.
Red-breasted sapsucker
The red-breasted sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker found along the west coast of North America, from Alaska down to California and even Baja California in winter. Distinctive for its red head and chest, this species primarily feeds on tree sap, drilling rows of holes into living trees, and also consumes insects attracted to the sap. They are cavity nesters, excavating their homes in dead deciduous trees.
Red-naped sapsucker
The Red-naped sapsucker is a medium-sized North American woodpecker, distinguished by a red patch on the nape of its head, red forehead, and yellow breast. Primarily found in mixed forests of the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin, these birds are known for their unique feeding method of drilling into trees to consume sap and attracted insects.