Photo: pbonenfant / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Picoides dorsalis
American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides dorsalis) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides dorsalis) is a member of the Picidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 65.5 g.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Picoides
- Species dorsalis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 65.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The American Three-toed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The American Three-toed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides dorsalis) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA n, wc.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 65.5 g, with a wing length of about 11.8 cm and a tail of around 7.8 cm.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 7.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the American Three-toed Woodpecker?
The American Three-toed Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 65.5 g.
Where does the American Three-toed Woodpecker live?
The American Three-toed Woodpecker is found across North America with a range covering NA n, wc, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the American Three-toed Woodpecker belong to?
The American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides dorsalis) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the American Three-toed Woodpecker eat?
The American Three-toed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the American Three-toed Woodpecker migrate?
The American Three-toed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
What sound does the American Three-toed Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the American Three-toed Woodpecker — including its drumming — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the American Three-toed Woodpecker's range?
The American Three-toed Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 7.9 million 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.