Florida is home to nine spectacular woodpecker species.
In this article:
We highlight nine types of woodpeckers in Florida. The four most common species will visit your backyard if you try to attract them with suet. If you’re something of an adventurer, then take hike trips to spot the evasive Florida woodpeckers in parks and wildlife centers.
Florida Woodpeckers
1. Downy Woodpecker
- Length: 5.5 to 6.7 inches
- Wingspan: 9.8 to 11.8 inches
- Weight: 21 to 28 grams
The Downy Woodpecker is minuscule for a woodpecker but exploits this to its fullest. Mostly to reach food places where the big guys can't get to, like the top of plant galls.
By the way, Downies are common year-round species in Florida. They are a distinctive stripe of black and white from beak to tail. Only adult males have a red spot at the nape of the head.
Downy Woodpeckers are often mistaken for Hairy Woodpeckers. Check their bill size to tell the difference. The Downy Woodpecker is much smaller.
While they primarily dine on insects, they'd also be the first at a suet feeder. They even come to visit the hummingbird feeder for a sip! They are small but never below the food chain.
2. Hairy Woodpecker
- Length: 7 to 10.2 inches
- Wingspan: 13 to 16 inches
- Weight: 40 to 95 grams
Hairy Woodpeckers are lovely family birds regularly co-existing with the lookalike Downies. Sometimes, they also feed off the hard work of the Pileated Woodpecker.
Hairy Woodpeckers have large stripes of black and white, like the Downies, particularly on their faces. A white patch stretches down the middle of the back, and the black wings checkered with white dots.
These birds also have a longer bill than the Downy Woodpecker's thorn-like bill. Their large bill is the same length as their head.
Plus, they are birds of many terrains, ranging from matured forests, high mountains, suburbs, parks to cemeteries. So you definitely can expect to see this woodpecker visit a backyard. Attract them with a suet feeder or serve black oil sunflower seeds.
Hairy Woodpeckers bring life to dead trees in your yard, carving out nests in barks to start a family. Later on, other cavity-nesting birds rent the holes, even flying squirrels.
FYI: There is a variety of bird food available on the market. If you like to attract these birds into your backyard, then we suggest looking for the bird seed brands you know they love to eat!
3. Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Length: 9.4 inches
- Wingspan: 13 to 16.5 inches
- Weight: 56 to 91 grams
You don't have to go too far in Florida to spot a Red-bellied Woodpecker. They are among the first you'd notice in a Floridan backyard. In particular, they flourish in South Florida, and you can almost see them anywhere there are trees.
You can tell how common Red-bellied Woodpeckers are around once you learn their rolling call. If you stay close to wood patches, you might attract them by serving suet and peanuts.
Leave dead palm trunks or any dead trees lying around and you could get them to nest in your yard.
Meanwhile, half their nests in any area are raided by invasive Common Starlings. If you get them to nest by mounting birdhouses, then undersize their entrance. This is one effective way how to deter starlings from invading them!
4. Pileated Woodpecker
- Length: 15 to 19.3 inches
- Wingspan: 26 to 29.5 inches
- Weight: 250 to 530 grams
Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest woodpecker species in the United States and they are residents in Florida throughout the year.
Even better, the range of these breathtaking woodpecker species extends to all of Florida, except the Keys.
These crow-sized birds are hard to miss. Aside from their large size, you can easily pick out their long red crest. They also display an exciting contrast of black and white when they expose their underwings.
The sound of these birds chopping at a tree for a daily meal of carpenter ants alone gives away their location.
They dig large rectangular holes in dead trees or rotten wood, deep enough for small trees to break in half. However, they proved a great service to other birds as many other bird species feed and nest in their excavations.
Pileated Woodpeckers are typical forest birds but also live in partially wooded suburbs. If you have woods around your home, you may attract one to your suet feeder.
5. Red-headed Woodpecker
- Length: 7.5 to 9.1 inches
- Wingspan: 16.5 inches
- Weight: 56 and 97 grams
The Red-headed Woodpecker is easily identifiable by its entirely red head, white body, and black wings with white patches. While some populations in northern parts of their range are migratory, many are year-round residents in Florida, especially in open pine woodlands and agricultural areas. Their presence can fluctuate based on food availability.
Both females and males look alike. They have a mixture of white and black, with the head being crimson red; plus, their belly is as white as snow.
These stunning peckers can be found in a variety of environments in Florida:
Open Pine Woodlands: This is a classic habitat for them, particularly longleaf pine, loblolly pine, and slash pine ecosystems. They thrive in areas that have experienced prescribed fires, as these fires help maintain the open understory and create snags (dead trees) that are crucial for nesting and foraging.
- Oak savannas and open oak woodlands
- River bottoms and wetlands
- Burned areas and recent clearings
- Orchards, parks, and farmland with scattered trees
- Forest edges and roadsides
6. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
- Length: 7.9 to 9.1 inches
- Wingspan: 14.2 inches
- Weight: 42 to 52 grams
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is now an endangered species after suffering from the effects of habitat loss. They nest in live pinewood trees, which happen to be wildfire magnets and are often cleared for timber.
They were once abundant in all 67 counties of Florida, but a legend in recent times. You only stand a good chance of seeing them in the Florida Panhandle, Apalachicola National Forest, or the Babcock/Webb Wildlife Management Area.
Red-cockaded Woodpeckers don't really have red feathers that stand out. They are mostly black and white, like the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers. But they have distinct horizontal black and white bars over the upper wings.
7. Northern Flicker
- Length: 11 to 12.2 inches
- Wingspan: 16.5 to 20.1 inches
- Weight: 110 to 160 grams
Contrary to how their name might sound, Northern Flickers are large woodpeckers. But they are also as different from most woodpeckers as their name suggests.
Unlike most woodpeckers, flickers dig up ants and insects from dirt rather than the bark of trees. While they forage on the ground primarily, a lot of their diet also comes from seeds and berries, particularly in fall and winter.
But they do drum on objects and wood for communication and territorial defense, like most woodpeckers. And dig holes to nest in tree barks, but would also take rent in an abandoned kingfisher's or bank swallow's hole sometimes.
Spotting this fairly large bird, its finely plumaged body instantly draws attention. Its brown feathers finely contrast heavy black dots and a crescent bib over the breast.
They keep a gentle and colorful impression with a brown undertone. Males have a scar-like black whisker and a red nape.
Northern Flickers in eastern states like FL sport a yellow-shafted tail and flight feathers.
Despite being common woodpeckers in the state, they don't often frequent bird feeders.
8. Gold-Fronted Woodpecker
Length: 8.7 to 10.2 inches
Wingspan: 16.5 to 17.3 inches
Weight: 73 to 99 grams
This species is primarily found in the southwestern US and Mexico, but there is a disjunct population that is considered a year-round resident in parts of south-central Florida. This is a more localized species compared to the others.
You can tell you've made a rare sighting if you spot one with its colorful plumage. There's a bright yellow spot in front of the eyes, and blood-red from crest to the nape. The facial glow is toned with tan breasts and a black and white striped back.
You can spot them around in an area with mesquite trees, or that's close to groves and stream woodlands. They aren't a regular visitor to Floridan bird feeders, but you may be lucky, extremely lucky.
9. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Length: 7 to 8.7 inches
- Wingspan: 13.4 to 15.8 inches
- Weight: 43 to 55 grams
Interestingly, they are also called the vampires of woodpecker species, as they suck sap from trees and not blood. They also lap up insects along with the gummy tree juice.
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are not regulars at bird feeders. But you'd be a lucky chap if you had maple or birch trees and have them in range. These birds also come back to the same sap wells over the years, so you'd seal their presence in your backyard during winters.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is The Largest Woodpecker In Florida?
The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest species in Florida and North America. Only the Ivory-Billed, is bigger but that is largely believed to be extinct.
A Pileated Woodpecker is about the size of a crow. It's known to break weak trees in half with its massive bill while drilling the bark for carpenter ants.
Are There Red-headed Woodpeckers In Florida?
Yes, there are. Red-headed Woodpeckers are in Florida. Some are migratory but some remain in Florida year round.
Wrapping Up
Florida is home to a diverse array of woodpeckers, with most species being year-round residents. The Red-bellied Woodpecker is the most common and widespread, easily identified by its striped back and a red cap (often more noticeable than its belly). The Downy Woodpecker, the smallest of the bunch, and the slightly larger Hairy Woodpecker are also frequently spotted.
The majestic, crow-sized Pileated Woodpecker with its prominent red crest thrives in mature forests. The striking Red-headed Woodpecker, with its entirely red head, prefers open pine woodlands and areas with scattered older trees.
Northern Flickers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers are either moving around or in localised pockets. A critically important species is the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, a federally threatened bird that uniquely excavates its nests in living, old-growth pine trees, making its conservation a priority for the state.
Read about the owls of Florida here.
7 Most Seen Florida Owl Species: Types (With Pictures & Videos)
