Gila Woodpecker
Melanerpes uropygialis
Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 64.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Melanerpes
- Species uropygialis
Where it lives
Southwestern USA and Baja California to western Mexico
Quick facts
- Weight
- 64.7 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Gila Woodpecker is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Gila Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw USA and Baja California to w Mexico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 64.7 g, with a wing length of about 13.1 cm and a tail of around 9.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 567,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Gila Woodpecker?
The Gila Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 64.7 g.
Where does the Gila Woodpecker live?
The Gila Woodpecker is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw USA and Baja California to w Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Gila Woodpecker belong to?
The Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Gila Woodpecker eat?
The Gila Woodpecker is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Gila Woodpecker migrate?
The Gila Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Gila Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Gila Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Gila Woodpecker — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Gila Woodpecker's range?
The Gila Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 567,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.