Photo: Louis Agassiz Fuertes / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-backed Woodpecker
Picoides arcticus
Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) — 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 Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) is a member of the Picidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 69.2 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 Picoides
- Species arcticus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 69.2 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 Black-backed 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 Black-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA Alaska, c, s Canada and n, w USA.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 69.2 g, with a wing length of about 12.9 cm and a tail of around 8.9 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 6.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-backed Woodpecker?
The Black-backed Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 69.2 g.
Where does the Black-backed Woodpecker live?
The Black-backed Woodpecker is found across North America with a range covering NA Alaska, c, s Canada and n, w USA, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-backed Woodpecker belong to?
The Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Black-backed Woodpecker eat?
The Black-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-backed Woodpecker migrate?
The Black-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-backed 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 Black-backed Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Black-backed Woodpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-backed Woodpecker's range?
The Black-backed Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 6.8 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.