Photo: Mike & Chris / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Dryobates nuttallii
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 37.4 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 nuttallii
Where it lives
California to northern Baja California (Mexico)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 37.4 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 Nuttall’s Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Nuttall’s Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA California to n Baja California (Mexico).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 37.4 g, with a wing length of about 10.2 cm and a tail of around 7.1 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 184,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Nuttall’s Woodpecker?
The Nuttall’s Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 37.4 g.
Where does the Nuttall’s Woodpecker live?
The Nuttall’s Woodpecker is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA California to n Baja California (Mexico), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Nuttall’s Woodpecker belong to?
The Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Nuttall’s Woodpecker eat?
The Nuttall’s Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Nuttall’s Woodpecker migrate?
The Nuttall’s Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Nuttall’s 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 Nuttall’s Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Nuttall’s 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 Nuttall’s Woodpecker's range?
The Nuttall’s Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 184,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Picidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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.