Woodpeckers are a family of birds that have uniquely adapted when it comes to finding food. All members of this group have a strong, reinforced skull that protects their brain from drilling into trees with their specialized beak. They do this in search of food as well as to create holes for nesting and communicate with other members of their species. They also possess a long, barbed, and usually sticky tongue that’s used to grip and pull insects into their waiting mouth. These unique birds are found all over the country, but in this article we’ll focus on the species of woodpeckers in New Hampshire.
8 species of woodpeckers in New Hampshire
The 8 species of woodpeckers in New Hampshire are the Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Black-backed Woodpecker, and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Less common in the state are the Red-headed Woodpecker and the Red-bellied Woodpecker whom don’t technically have a range in the state of New Hampshire, but are often spotted there nonetheless.
1. Downy Woodpecker
Scientific name: Picoides pubescens
Height: 5.5-7.1 inches
Weight: 0.74-0.99 ounces
The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest of woodpeckers in New Hampshire. It’s found throughout the state, and has adapted relatively well to human presence. It gets its name from the soft texture on its back, which is how it’s earned the affectionate nickname “Downy”.
They have a distinctive black and white striping pattern with strong bars of light and dark on the wings and a broad white stripe down their back. The males and females have slightly different patterns, with the males having a bright red dot at the nape of the neck.
It spends the majority of its time clinging to the trunks and branches of trees. Like most woodpeckers, they have specialized feet, called zygodactyl feet, that have two toes facing forwards and two facing backwards. These feet allow them to cling to the side of a tree when in search of insects.
Their smaller size also comes in handy when foraging for various nuts and berries, as they’re able to crawl all the way out to the tips of smaller branches that other woodpeckers are too heavy to access.
2. Hairy Woodpecker
Scientific name: Picoides villosus
Height: 9-9.5 inches
Weight: 0.74-0.99 ounces
At first glance, the Hairy Woodpecker heavily resembles the Downy, as both have similar patterns of black and white stripes with a red dot on the nape, but they’re two separate species! It certa