List of Arizona-SW Birds (Yuma County, Arizona) - Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, and Flickers

Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, and Flickers

Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae /See Woodpecker, Sapsucker, and "Flicker", the Northern Flicker
Woodpeckers are small to medium sized birds with chisel like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward, and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks, (or state a pronounced, declared territorial call, while searching in their feeding range: it is obvious that they have arrived, or are passing by in their territory. There are 218 species world wide, and 26 North American species. The 3 permanent breeding species are the Gila, and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, and the Gilded Flicker.

• Lewis's Woodpecker, Melanerpes lewis, (–Winter Range–)
• Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus (C) (Jun and Oct,Nov–also observed in Calif deserts/ Salton Sea)
• ( * SW) Gila Woodpecker, Melanerpes uropygialis, Permanent
• Williamson's Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus thyroideus, (C) from higher elevations(winter)-Dec, and Mar
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius, (–Winter Range–)
• Red-naped Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus nuchalis, (–Winter Range–)
• Red-breasted Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus ruber, (–Winter Range–)
• ( * SW) Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Picoides scalaris, Permanent
• Yellow-shafted Flicker, Northern Flicker, (–Winter Range–)
• Red-shafted Flicker, Northern Flicker, (–Winter Range–)
• (–L–) ( * SW) Gilded Flicker, (Northern Flicker), Colaptes chrysoides, Permanent