Woodpeckers in Texas
Our list for Texas has 14 woodpeckers recorded regularly there: 8 residents, 1 summer visitor, 4 winter visitors and 1 passage migrant
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Texas in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 14, most common first
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year
Golden-fronted WoodpeckerMelanerpes aurifronsResidentCommon21–26 cmRecorded all year
Ladder-backed WoodpeckerDryobates scalarisResidentCommon16–19 cmRecorded all year
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusWinter visitorCommon28–31 cmRegularly Aug–Mar
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusWinter visitorUncommon19–22 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year
Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusSummer visitorUncommon20–24 cmRecorded all year
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusResidentUncommon19–23 cmRecorded all year
Red-naped SapsuckerSphyrapicus nuchalisWinter visitorRare19–21 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentRare18–26 cmRecorded all year
Red-cockaded WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus borealisResidentRare20–23 cmRecorded all year
Lewis's WoodpeckerMelanerpes lewisPassage migrantRare26–28 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Williamson's SapsuckerSphyrapicus thyroideusWinter visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Downy Woodpecker 14–18 cm
- Ladder-backed Woodpecker 16–19 cm
- Red-naped Sapsucker 19–21 cm
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 19–22 cm
- Red-headed Woodpecker 19–23 cm
- Red-cockaded Woodpecker 20–23 cm
- Acorn Woodpecker 20–24 cm
- Hairy Woodpecker 18–26 cm
- Williamson's Sapsucker 21–25 cm
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker 21–26 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