Bird Album
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Dryobates scalaris (Wagler, 1829)
16–19 cmLength32 gWeight
The ladder-backed woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) is a North American woodpecker.
Busiest months: January and March–April · Most records: United States, Mexico, Belize
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: January and March–April · Most records: United States, Mexico, Belize
Ladder-backed Woodpecker has been recorded at 186 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Sweetwater WetlandsUnited States24,118 records
- Paton Center for HummingbirdsUnited States19,802 records
- Estero Llano Grande SP WBCUnited States18,752 records
More places
- Santa Ana NWRUnited States13,400 records
- Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)United States12,255 records
- Ash Canyon Bird SanctuaryUnited States10,952 records
- Anza Trail – TubacUnited States10,016 records
- Mitchell Lake Audubon CenterUnited States7,589 records
- Patagonia Lake SP – Birding TrailUnited States6,998 records
- Salineño Wildlife PreserveUnited States6,472 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The ladder-backed woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) is a North American woodpecker.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Ladder-backed Woodpecker?
The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is about 16–19 cm long and weighs around 32 g.
Where does the Ladder-backed Woodpecker live?
Its breeding range: North America, Middle America: southwestern USA to northeastern Nicaragua. It is most often recorded in United States, Mexico and Belize.
When is the best time to see the Ladder-backed Woodpecker?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, March and April (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Ladder-backed Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Ladder-backed Woodpecker as Least Concern.
What does the Ladder-backed Woodpecker eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Ladder-backed Woodpecker in?
It belongs to the family Woodpeckers (Picidae), order Piciformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 16–19 cm
- Weight
- 32 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 97 mm
- Tail
- 58 mm
- Bill
- 19 mm
- Tarsus
- 18 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Middle America: southwestern USA to northeastern Nicaragua
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Woodpeckers Picidae
- Genus
- Dryobates
Other birds in the genus Dryobates
Nuttall's WoodpeckerDryobates nuttallii
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens
Crimson-naped WoodpeckerDryobates cathpharius
Necklaced WoodpeckerDryobates pernyii
Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
Eurasian WryneckJynx torquilla
Red-throated WryneckJynx ruficollis
Speckled PiculetPicumnus innominatus
Bar-breasted PiculetPicumnus aurifrons
Lafresnaye's PiculetPicumnus lafresnayi
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Gordon Karre. ↗
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