It’s been suggested that the loss of the fourth toe allows these species to lean farther back and deliver harder blows to the tree, possibly helping them excavate nest holes in harder (and therefore safer) wood. Includes photos, illustration with field marks, and range map. Habitat, diet, feeding behavior, nesting, and conservation status of this bird. Order:  Piciformes The Black-backed Woodpecker is one of the two northern woodpeckers and the American Three-toed Woodpecker is the other. Historical CBC Map from USGS, Birds | Mammals | Butterflies Nearly synonymous with burned forests over much of its range, the Black-backed Woodpecker specializes on eating big, juicy wood-boring beetle larvae. (See eBird map below), Map from eBird It is an inky black bird with a sharp white stripe on its black face, fine black barring on the flanks, and, in males, a yellow crown patch. A curious aspect of the Black-backed Woodpecker’s distribution is its absence from the central and southern Rocky Mountains, even though it occurs throughout the Sierra Nevada of central California. During the nonbreeding season, Black-backed Woodpeckers occasionally move to areas south of the regular breeding range. Description, habitat, behavior, diet, nesting, and conservation status. Black-backed Woodpeckers often forage on charred, blackish tree trunks, where their dark plumage helps them blend in remarkably well. © 2001-2020 Nature of New England, Identification tips for Black-backed Woodpecker, Year-round sightings of the Black-backed Woodpecker over the past 10 years (2009-2019). Both birds can be seen in search of food in the southern regions in the winter months. (From Audubon Field Guide) Black-backed Woodpecker Description, range, habitat, calls, identification tips, and behavior. Otherwise, the black and white bars on the back and presence of a … Over time, this habit creates a ready supply of nest holes that can be used by so-called “secondary cavity nesters”—species like chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds, and owls that nest in tree cavities but cannot excavate their own. These irruptions have been attributed to changes in abundance of their wood-boring insect prey or to overpopulation of the woodpeckers following an insect outbreak. Black-backed, American Three-toed, and Eurasian Three-toed Woodpeckers have only three toes on each foot; all other woodpeckers have four. After the trees have died, they will pry the bark from the trunks in search of grubs and insects. The oldest recorded Black-backed Woodpecker was a male, and was at least 4 years, 11 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Idaho. These enterprising birds locate burned forests just weeks to months after a forest fire and then live off the bounty of insects over the next 5 to 8 years. Generally uncommon, but not so quiet or inconspicuous as the American Three-toed Woodpecker. Black-backed Woodpecker. Includes range map, photos, and calls. Woodpeckers(Order: Piciformes, Family:Picidae). Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. Includes range map, photos, and calls. Some scientists point to this as evidence that severe forest fires have been shaping species for millennia and are a natural part of many landscapes. Nearly synonymous with burned forests over much of its range, the Black-backed Woodpecker specializes on eating big, juicy wood-boring beetle larvae. Winter records have occurred in Iowa, central Illinois, northern Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware. Over much of their range, the secret to finding Black-backed Woodpeckers boils down to finding burned forests between about 1 and 8 years old. Physically it resembles the Black-backed Woodpecker, although it’s a bit smaller with a shorter bill. Three-toed woodpeckers are uncommon in New Mexico, found at higher elevations in the forested north part of the state. These forests are often bursting with birds and harbor many species of woodpeckers, all but guaranteeing great birding. Listen for their sharp chip notes (with a bit of a lisp compared to Hairy Woodpeckers) and for drumming that trails off at the end (very similar to American Three-toed). More research is needed to see if these populations can be distinguished as subspecies. Black-backed Woodpeckers moved into many affected towns and cities, far south of their normal range, to feed on beetles that infested the dying trees. Black-backed Woodpecker by Tom Johnson | Macaulay Library. After a fire, many plants and animals—including western wood pewees, western bluebirds, morel mushrooms, wood-boring beetles, and, most notably, black-backed woodpeckers—begin to live in the burned areas. It is an inky black bird with a sharp white stripe on its black face, fine black barring on the flanks, and, in males, a yellow crown patch. This bird is also found locally in other areas of Maine. In New England, the Black-backed Woodpecker is found year round in the far northeastern corner of Vermont, northern New Hampshire, and northern and western Maine. Black-backed Woodpeckers and many other woodpecker species excavate a new nest hole with each nesting attempt. Includes photos and range map. It is an inky black bird with a sharp white stripe on its black face, fine black barring on the flanks, and, in males, a yellow crown patch. Description, range, habitat, calls, identification tips, and behavior. 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