Woodpeckers in Alberta
Our list for Alberta has 10 woodpeckers recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 2 summer visitors, 4 winter visitors and 2 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Alberta in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 10, most common first
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensWinter visitorCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusWinter visitorCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusSummer visitorUncommon19–22 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
American Three-toed WoodpeckerPicoides dorsalisResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Red-naped SapsuckerSphyrapicus nuchalisSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year
Lewis's WoodpeckerMelanerpes lewisPassage migrantRare26–28 cmRegularly May–Jun
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly Jun
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Downy Woodpecker 14–18 cm
- Red-naped Sapsucker 19–21 cm
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 19–22 cm
- Red-headed Woodpecker 19–23 cm
- Hairy Woodpecker 18–26 cm
- American Three-toed Woodpecker 21–24 cm
- Black-backed Woodpecker 21–24 cm
- Lewis's Woodpecker 26–28 cm
- Northern Flicker 28–31 cm
- Pileated Woodpecker 40–49 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made