Woodpeckers in Canada
Our list for Canada has 14 woodpeckers recorded regularly there: 8 residents, 5 summer visitors and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Canada in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 14, most common first
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusSummer visitorCommon19–22 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusSummer visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Red-breasted SapsuckerSphyrapicus ruberResidentUncommon19–22 cmRecorded all year
Red-naped SapsuckerSphyrapicus nuchalisSummer visitorRare19–21 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusResidentRare21–24 cmRecorded all year
American Three-toed WoodpeckerPicoides dorsalisResidentRare21–24 cmRecorded all year
Lewis's WoodpeckerMelanerpes lewisSummer visitorRare26–28 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Williamson's SapsuckerSphyrapicus thyroideusSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Mar–Sep
Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusScarceRare20–24 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Downy Woodpecker 14–18 cm
- Red-naped Sapsucker 19–21 cm
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 19–22 cm
- Red-breasted Sapsucker 19–22 cm
- Red-headed Woodpecker 19–23 cm
- Hairy Woodpecker 18–26 cm
- Acorn Woodpecker 20–24 cm
- Black-backed Woodpecker 21–24 cm
- American Three-toed Woodpecker 21–24 cm
- Williamson's Sapsucker 21–25 cm
- Red-bellied Woodpecker 23–26 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