List of Birds of Iowa - Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, and Flickers

Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, and Flickers

Order: Piciformes. Family: Picidae

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. There are 11 Iowa species.

  • Lewis's Woodpecker, Melanerpes lewis (A)
  • Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus
  • Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus (A)
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus
  • Red-breasted Sapsucker,Sphyrapicus ruber (A)
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius
  • Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens
  • Hairy Woodpecker, Picoides villosus
  • Black-backed Woodpecker, Picoides arcticus (A)
  • Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus
  • Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus

Read more about this topic:  List Of Birds Of Iowa

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