From the bustling suburban backyard to the deep, silent reaches of the Mark Twain National Forest, a distinctive sound echoes through Missouri's woodlands: the rapid-fire drumming of a woodpecker.
These fascinating birds are more than just noisy neighbors; they are crucial components of the state's diverse ecosystem. They play a vital role in forest health, controlling insect populations and creating nesting cavities that provide homes for countless other species.
Missouri is home to a remarkable variety of woodpeckers, each with its own unique appearance, call, and behavior. This article will serve as your comprehensive guide to the seven main woodpecker species you can find across the state, helping you identify them by sight and sound and appreciate their individual contributions to the natural world.
Woodpeckers of Missouri
1. The Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
As the smallest and most common woodpecker in North America, the Downy is a familiar face to most Missourians. It is a year-round resident, equally at home in urban parks and deep forests. Its diminutive size—about the size of a House Sparrow—makes it easy to spot, often seen hitching its way up the smaller branches of trees.
Appearance: The Downy Woodpecker is a striking black and white bird. It has a checkered pattern on its wings and a bold white stripe down its back. Its head is a mosaic of black and white stripes, and males are distinguished by a small, bright red patch on the back of their heads, a feature that females lack. Its small, chisel-like bill is perfectly suited for its preferred foraging method of pecking at the bark of small branches and twigs.
Habitat and Behavior: Downies are incredibly adaptable. They are a welcome sight at backyard suet feeders throughout the year, and can also be found in open woodlands, orchards, and suburban areas. Their small size allows them to be more acrobatic than their larger cousins, dropping into weeds to feed on insects or navigating the thinner, outer branches of trees. Their call is a soft "pik" note, and their drumming is a quick, accelerating roll that is much less resonant than that of other woodpecker species.
2. The Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)
Often mistaken for the Downy Woodpecker, the Hairy Woodpecker is the Downy's larger, and less common, doppelgänger. Distinguishing between the two is a classic challenge for new birdwatchers in Missouri. The Hairy Woodpecker is also a year-round resident, but it generally prefers more mature woodlands and larger trees, making it less likely to be a regular visitor to suburban backyards.
Appearance: Like the Downy, the Hairy Woodpecker has a black and white striped head, a white back stripe, and checkered wings. The key difference lies in its size and bill. The Hairy is significantly larger—about the size of a Red-bellied Woodpecker—and its bill is noticeably longer and more robust, nearly the same length as its head. Another subtle but useful field mark is the absence of black spots on the outer white tail feathers, which the Downy Woodpecker possesses. Males, like the Downy, have a red patch on the nape of their neck.
Habitat and Behavior: While they share many habitats with Downies, Hairy Woodpeckers tend to forage on larger tree trunks and main branches. Their louder, more emphatic "peek!" call and a rapid, machine-gun-like drumming distinguish them audibly from their smaller relatives. They are a bit more skittish and less prone to visiting feeders than Downies, but a suet feeder in a heavily wooded area might still attract a curious Hairy.
3. The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
Arguably one of the most visually stunning birds in Missouri, the Red-headed Woodpecker is unmistakable. Its bold, tricolored plumage makes it a standout in any landscape, and its unique behaviors make it a fascinating subject for observation. This species is a summer resident in Missouri, though some individuals may overwinter in the southern parts of the state if food supplies are abundant.
Appearance: Both male and female Red-headed Woodpeckers have a completely crimson head, a stark white body, and a solid black back. A large, prominent white patch is visible on their wings, which is particularly noticeable when they are in flight. Their vibrant appearance has made them a favorite of ornithologists and bird lovers for centuries.
Habitat and Conservation: The Red-headed Woodpecker prefers open woodlands, especially areas with dead trees, and can often be found along forest edges, in orchards, and even in urban parks. Unlike most woodpeckers that feed primarily on insects in tree bark, Red-headed Woodpeckers are known to catch insects in mid-air. They are also famous for their habit of caching nuts and acorns in tree crevices for later use, a behavior that is particularly important for their winter survival. Unfortunately, this species has been in severe decline since the mid-1960s, a trend attributed to habitat loss, competition with invasive species like the European Starling for nesting cavities, and road traffic. Protecting mature forests with standing dead trees, or "snags," is a crucial conservation measure for this beautiful bird.
4. The Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
Despite its name, the Red-bellied Woodpecker’s red belly is a subtle feature that is often hard to see, even up close. Instead, it is the brilliant red crown and nape of the male that most easily identifies it. This is a very common, year-round resident throughout Missouri.
Appearance: The Red-bellied Woodpecker has a striking black-and-white barred pattern on its back and wings, giving it a ladder-backed appearance. Its underparts are a pale gray-white. The male has a full red crown that extends from its bill to the nape of its neck, while the female’s red is limited to the nape and the base of the bill. It is the small, pale red wash on its belly that gives the bird its name, but this is rarely visible in the field.
Habitat and Behavior: This species is a frequent visitor to suet feeders and is highly vocal. Its most common call is a resonant, throaty "churr-churr-churr" or a loud, rolling "kwirr." They are very adaptable and can be found in a wide variety of habitats, from mature forests to suburban neighborhoods. They are adept at wedging nuts and acorns into crevices, a clever strategy that allows them to hammer the food open with their strong bills.
5. The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
If you’ve ever heard a sound that resembles a machine gun rattling off a volley of shots in the woods, you’ve likely been in the presence of Missouri’s largest and most impressive woodpecker: the Pileated Woodpecker. Crow-sized and dramatic, this is a year-round resident that epitomizes the wildness of the state’s forests.
Appearance: The Pileated Woodpecker is an enormous, mostly black bird with bold white stripes on its neck and a magnificent, flaming red crest that sweeps backward off its head. In flight, a flash of white is visible under its wings. The male has a red "mustache" stripe, while the female's is black. Its long, powerful, chisel-like bill is a testament to its primary foraging method.
Habitat and Behavior: Pileated Woodpeckers are most at home in mature forests, particularly those with a high density of dead or dying trees and downed logs. They are master excavators, digging out large, distinctive rectangular holes in trees as they hunt for their favorite food: carpenter ants. These excavations are so extensive that they can sometimes cause small trees to snap in half. The holes they create are also invaluable to the ecosystem, providing nesting sites for other species that cannot excavate their own cavities. Their territorial call is a loud, ringing, and slightly manic "kik-kik-kik-kik," which is often compared to the sound of Woody Woodpecker's laugh.
6. The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
The Northern Flicker is an atypical member of the woodpecker family. While it retains the characteristic drumming and cavity-nesting behaviors, it spends a significant amount of its time foraging on the ground for ants and beetles, a behavior that sets it apart from its tree-hugging relatives. This is a permanent resident in Missouri, though populations from farther north may increase the numbers during the winter.
Appearance: Northern Flickers have a unique, barred brown plumage with a spotted belly and a distinctive black crescent on their chest. The most striking features are visible in flight: a bright white patch on the rump and flashes of color under the wings. In Missouri, the subspecies is predominantly the "Yellow-shafted" form, which has bright yellow underwings and undertail feathers. Males have a black mustache stripe, while the females do not. The rarer "Red-shafted" form, with red underwings and a red mustache, may occasionally be seen during the winter months.
Habitat and Behavior: You can find Northern Flickers in a variety of open habitats, from forests and parklands to suburban yards. Because they forage on the ground, they are often seen hopping around lawns, probing for ants with their long, sticky tongues. Their call is a loud, ringing "wicka-wicka-wicka-wicka" or a single, sharp "kew."
7. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
The final species on our list is a seasonal visitor to Missouri. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker does not breed in the state but passes through during migration and spends the winter in the southern half of the state. It is a true specialist with a feeding habit that is unique among Missouri’s woodpeckers.
Appearance: This is a small to medium-sized woodpecker with a black-and-white mottled back. The male has a bright red forehead and throat, while the female has a white throat. Both sexes have a black chest band and a creamy yellow wash on their bellies, which is more visible than its Red-bellied cousin's.
Habitat and Behavior: As its name suggests, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker feeds on tree sap. It drills neat, horizontal rows of shallow holes in the bark of trees, known as "sap wells." It then returns to these wells to lap up the sap and any insects that have become trapped in the sticky liquid. This behavior is so specific that it provides a critical food source for other species, most notably migrating hummingbirds that follow the sapsuckers’ trail. They prefer younger forests with birch and maple trees and are also found in urban areas. Their call is a thin, nasally squeal, and their drumming is a distinct, arrhythmic, stuttering beat.
Unique Characteristics Of Woodpeckers
Yes, they peck trees in a unique style, and that's how you'll know there are woodpeckers nearby. They drum to mark territory, find food, or when mating.
That's one of the best energy and time management tactics I've ever heard! :)
Their bills are long and sharp, so they can curve excellent holes to reach insects, and they use their tongues to capture them.
The Yellow-bellied Ssapsuckers prefer a more sophisticated meal, so they trap insects together with tree sap. Woodpeckers can withstand long hours of drilling and drumming thanks to their sturdy tail and feet. Their strong necks provide the strength to drill fast and vigorously.
But how do they know they're making progress when drumming? Well, the feathers around their nostrils brush the wood chips off.
If you want to get to know more of these amazing woodpeckers in Missouri and how to attract them, watch this:
Frequently Asked Questions
What Kind Of Woodpeckers Are In Missouri?
There are seven species in MO, which we have discussed above. Most of them inhabit the state all year round, except the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Black, white, red, and yellow are the dominant colors of these birds, so the best way to tell them apart when you go birding is by carrying pictures of woodpeckers in Missouri.
Is It Illegal To Shoot A Woodpecker In Missouri?
Yes, the law classifies them as migratory, non-game birds protected by state and federal laws. These birds damage property when they invade in dozens, but you don’t have the right to shoot them down. Instead, remove the bird feeder, clear dead trees, cover cavities in walls, and drain water baths.
Wrapping Up
From the bustling Downy to the magnificent Pileated, Missouri’s woodpeckers are a testament to the state's rich biodiversity. Whether you're an avid birdwatcher or just a casual observer, taking the time to learn their unique calls, observe their behaviors, and identify their distinctive markings is a rewarding experience that will deepen your connection to the natural world around you.
