Species Profile
Black-backed Woodpecker
Picoides arcticus
Black-backed Woodpecker Female
Quick Facts
Conservation
LCLeast ConcernLifespan
6–8 years
Length
21–24 cm
Weight
61–88 g
Wingspan
40–44 cm
Migration
Resident
Also known as: Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker
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Appearance
The Black-backed Woodpecker is a striking bird with glossy black upperparts, contrasting sharply with its white underparts. Its head features distinctive white stripes behind the eyes and on the sides, while the wings display small white spots.
Males have bright yellow crown patches, which are absent in females. Juveniles resemble adults but have a duller plumage and, in males, a smaller yellow crown patch. The bird's stiff tail feathers aid in climbing and foraging on tree trunks.
Identification & Characteristics
Male Colors
- Primary
- Black
- Secondary
- Yellow
- Beak
- Grey
- Legs
- Grey
Female Colors
- Primary
- Black
- Beak
- Grey
- Legs
- Grey
Female Markings
Lacks the yellow crown patch present in males
Attributes
Understanding Attributes
Rated 0–100 based on research and observation. A score of 50 is average across all bird species. These attributes are relative and don't necessarily indicate superiority.
Habitat & Distribution
Black-backed Woodpeckers inhabit coniferous and mixed forests across northern North America, from Alaska to Newfoundland, and south into the northern United States. They strongly prefer recently burned forests or areas affected by insect outbreaks.
In the United States, they are found in higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, and northern New England. Their distribution is closely tied to the availability of their preferred habitats, which can shift with fire and insect disturbance patterns.
Distribution
Diet
The Black-backed Woodpecker's diet primarily consists of wood-boring beetle larvae, particularly those of the families Cerambycidae and Buprestidae. They also consume other insects, fruits, and occasionally tree sap.
Their specialized foraging technique involves flaking off large sections of bark to access their prey. Plant matter, including wild berries and tree nuts, account for just over 10 percent of their diet.
Behaviour
Black-backed Woodpeckers are known for their quiet, methodical foraging behavior. They spend hours stripping bark from dead or dying trees, searching for wood-boring beetle larvae.
These birds are generally solitary outside the breeding season, maintaining year-round territories in suitable habitats.
Calls & Sounds
The Black-backed Woodpecker's vocalizations are relatively quiet compared to other woodpeckers. Their call is a sharp, metallic 'kyik' or a softer 'pik'.
Their drumming is distinctive, consisting of slow, widely spaced taps that accelerate slightly at the end, often described as 'bronk-bronk-bronk-bronk-bronkbrronkrrr'.
Nesting & Breeding
Black-backed Woodpeckers form monogamous pairs during the breeding season, typically from late April to early May. Courtship involves drumming displays and chasing flights around potential nesting trees.
Nests are excavated in dead or dying trees, usually conifers, at heights of 1.5 to 15 meters. The cavity is lined with wood chips, and the female lays 2-6 white eggs.
Both parents share incubation duties for about 12-14 days. Nestlings fledge after 21-25 days but may continue to be fed by parents for several weeks after leaving the nest.
Conservation
While currently listed as Least Concern, Black-backed Woodpeckers face potential threats from fire suppression practices and salvage logging in post-fire habitats.
Conservation efforts focus on maintaining natural fire regimes and preserving snags in burned areas to ensure suitable foraging and nesting sites.
Birdwatching Tips
- Look for recently burned coniferous forests or areas with beetle infestations
- Listen for their distinctive drumming, which is slower and more irregular than other woodpeckers
- Observe tree trunks for large, rectangular patches of stripped bark, a sign of their foraging activity
- In the US and Canada, focus on boreal forests and higher elevations in western mountains
Did You Know?
- Black-backed Woodpeckers can hear beetle larvae moving under tree bark.
- They have zygodactyl feet, with two toes pointing forward and two backward, perfect for gripping tree bark.
- These woodpeckers play a crucial role in post-fire forest ecology by controlling wood-boring beetle populations.
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