How to Identify Lewis's Woodpecker Feathers

What Lewis's Woodpecker Feathers Look Like

Lewis's Woodpecker breaks nearly every rule of typical woodpecker coloring, and that makes it one of the easier species to identify from feathers alone once you know what to look for. Back, wing, and tail feathers are a glossy, iridescent dark greenish-black, showing a subtle sheen in good light rather than flat black — this iridescence is unusual among North American woodpeckers and is a strong first clue. The breast and upper belly feathers are pale silvery-grey, forming a distinct collar-like band, while the lower belly and vent feathers are an unexpected soft pinkish-red, quite unlike the white or yellow bellies of most woodpeckers. The face feathers around the bill and eye are dark maroon-red, though this can be subtle and is easiest to see on fresh, unworn feathers. There are no white patches anywhere on the wings or back, which immediately separates it from nearly every other North American woodpecker, most of which show bold white wing patches or barring. Flight feathers are broad and rounded, and the species is known for slow, crow-like flapping flight rather than the typical undulating woodpecker flight pattern, though this isn't something you can tell from a loose feather.

Step-by-Step: Is This Feather From a Lewis's Woodpecker?

• Check for iridescent dark green-black on back or wing feathers — a sheen rather than flat black or a black-and-white pattern.
• Rule out any white patches or barring. If the feather shows crisp white markings, it is not from this species.
• Look for pale grey breast feathers transitioning to pink-red belly/vent feathers — this color combination is unique among regional woodpeckers.
• Check for maroon-red facial feathers, best seen on fresh feathers with good light.
• Assess feather shape. Broad, rounded flight feathers fit this species' slow-flapping flight style.
• Note the habitat — open pine woodland, burned forest, or oak savanna in the western U.S. supports this ID.

Similar Species & How to Tell Them Apart

The Red-headed Woodpecker is the only other North American woodpecker with substantial red on the head, but it shows a solid, fully red head (not just the face) combined with a bold black-and-white body pattern, including large white wing patches — completely different from the plain, iridescent dark body of Lewis's Woodpecker. Acorn Woodpecker, which shares similar oak/pine habitat, shows a clown-like black-and-white face pattern with a red crown and bold white wing patches, again very different from the glossy, patternless plumage of Lewis's. No other regional woodpecker shows the pink belly and grey collar combination, making a confident feather from these body regions relatively easy to confirm.

Where & When You'll Find Them

Lewis's Woodpeckers favor open ponderosa pine forest, oak woodland, riparian cottonwoods, and burned or logged forest with standing dead trees across the interior western United States and parts of southern Canada, often wintering somewhat further south into the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. Feathers are most likely found near open, park-like woodland with abundant snags used for nesting cavities and aerial insect foraging, particularly during the breeding season (May through July) and during the post-breeding molt in late summer, when worn feathers are replaced before migration or winter movements.