Threats: Habitat loss and invasive bird species (European Starling) They take advantage of their size to reach food sources that are inaccessible to other woodpeckers, including insects living in weeds. Note: Downy Woodpeckers are the smallest woodpeckers in the United States. Their black plumage serves as excellent camouflage in the charred areas they prefer. Note: Like American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Black-backed Woodpeckers thrive in burned forests, where they harvest wood-boring beetle larvae. Threats: Habitat loss, fire suppression, post-fire salvage logging U.S./Canada Population Estimate: 1,800,000 Its habitat extends north from Mexico into southeastern Arizona and New Mexico's far southwestern corner. Due to its population size and restricted range, it has been added to PIF's Yellow List. Note: The Arizona Woodpecker is a species of conservation concern. American Three-toed Woodpecker populations have declined by more than 25 percent since 1970. Note: The American Three-toed Woodpecker has one toe less than most woodpeckers, a trait that some believe allows it to lean further away from trees, delivering more forceful strikes. Threats: Forest fragmentation, insect declines/reduced food resources, fire suppression U.S./Canada Population Estimate: 1,400,000 A single granary tree can sometimes hold up to 50,000 acorns. Note: In the fall, Acorn Woodpecker groups choose a “granary” tree into which they drill holes to store acorns. Threats: Habitat loss, invasive bird species (European Starling), occasional hunting U.S./Canada Population Estimate: 2,000,000 We have omitted two vagrant species, the Great Spotted Woodpecker and Eurasian Wryneck, which rarely visit the U.S. In cases where PIF data was unavailable, we relied upon information from the North American Breeding Bird Survey. For the purposes of this U.S.-based list, we've used Partners in Flight (PIF) population and conservation data exclusive to the United States and Canada, which may not reflect global numbers. While some woodpeckers are found almost exclusively within our borders, others range far into Canada or south into Mexico and beyond. The alphabetical list below includes all species of woodpeckers that occur in the continental United States. Others, like the Lewis's and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, have suffered large-scale declines and now benefit from intensive conservation efforts.Īmerican Bird Conservancy and other conservation organizations are helping imperiled woodpecker species by conserving critical habitat, improving land management practices, and educating landowners about the importance of forest conservation. These dangers have already proven disastrous for two of North America's largest woodpeckers - the Ivory-billed and Mexico's Imperial - which are almost certainly extinct. While a significant number of woodpecker species maintain healthy populations, none are free from human threats, which range from habitat loss to harmful pesticides. Although they vary in form and habit, most of these birds are widespread and can be found relatively easily. Excluding vagrant species, 23 woodpecker species are native to the United States (see list below).
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