Woodpeckers in Minnesota
Our list for Minnesota has 9 woodpeckers recorded regularly there: 4 residents, 2 summer visitors and 3 winter visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Minnesota in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 9, most common first
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusWinter visitorCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusSummer visitorUncommon19–22 cmRegularly Apr–Dec
Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jun–Mar
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusSummer visitorUncommon19–23 cmRecorded all year
American Three-toed WoodpeckerPicoides dorsalisWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Downy Woodpecker 14–18 cm
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 19–22 cm
- Red-headed Woodpecker 19–23 cm
- Hairy Woodpecker 18–26 cm
- Black-backed Woodpecker 21–24 cm
- American Three-toed Woodpecker 21–24 cm
- Red-bellied Woodpecker 23–26 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