Photo: Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Dryobates scalaris
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 31.6 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 Dryobates
- Species scalaris
Quick facts
- Weight
- 31.6 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 Ladder-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw USA to ne Nicaragua.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 31.6 g, with a wing length of about 9.7 cm and a tail of around 5.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Ladder-backed Woodpecker?
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 31.6 g.
Where does the Ladder-backed Woodpecker live?
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw USA to ne Nicaragua, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Ladder-backed Woodpecker belong to?
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Ladder-backed Woodpecker eat?
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Ladder-backed Woodpecker migrate?
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Ladder-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 Ladder-backed Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Ladder-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 Ladder-backed Woodpecker's range?
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 2.9 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.