Arizona Woodpecker

The Arizona Woodpecker occupies oak and pine-oak canyon woodland in the mountains of southeastern Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. It stands out from other small woodpeckers in the region by lacking any black-and-white barring on the back, showing instead a plain solid brown color.

This brown back, paired with heavily spotted white underparts, makes it one of the more distinctive members of its genus and a sought-after identification among woodpeckers in its limited U.S. range.

• Back: solid brown, without barring, unlike almost all other North American woodpeckers
• Underparts: white with bold dark spotting, particularly on the flanks
• Nape: males show a red patch; females lack it
• Face: brown-and-white striped pattern around the eye
• Vs. Hairy/Downy Woodpecker: the plain brown back immediately separates this species from the black-and-white barred or striped backs of Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers

Males show a red patch on the nape that females lack; both sexes otherwise share the same brown back and spotted underparts. Juveniles are duller brown with less crisp spotting below. The species undergoes a single annual molt after breeding.

Resident in oak and pine-oak canyon woodland in the sky island mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, extending south through the Sierra Madre of Mexico. It does not migrate and remains within its canyon woodland habitat year-round.

Forages on oak trunks and branches, gleaning bark-dwelling insects, and shows a preference for mature oak stands. It excavates nest cavities in dead limbs or snags within its canyon habitat. Calls include a sharp, distinctive rattling note, and drumming is relatively soft compared to larger woodpeckers.