The 10 Types of Woodpeckers in North Carolina You May Find Here

The 10 types of woodpeckers in North Carolina: Most birders find woodpeckers fascinating because of their unexpected behavior. Many people are unaware of these birds, despite the fact that everything about them seems fascinating, from their annual migration to their habitat mobility.

Maybe you’re wondering if woodpeckers can be found in North Carolina, savoring suet or banging on trees in the forest. Perhaps you will get a quick glimpse of them before they disappear behind a tree trunk.

The 10 Types of Woodpeckers in North Carolina:

The ten woodpecker species that you should be prepared to see across the state are attempted to be described in this brief guide. With any luck, it will provide you a solid basis for knowledge about the local birds. The most prevalent woodpeckers in North Carolina are listed below.

1. Downy Woodpecker

It appears that the downy woodpecker is the younger sibling of the hairy woodpecker. At first glance, they seem to be the same. The downy is noticeably smaller than the hairy one, as observant observers will note. This holds especially true for the beak.

2. Hairy Woodpecker

Having made North Carolina their permanent home, one can always spot these medium-sized birds at bird feeders. Offer them mixed seeds, almonds, or black oil sunflower seeds if you want to invite them to your backyard.

Read more: 9 Species of Hawks in Pennsylvania

3. Red-headed Woodpecker

There are certain resemblances between the red-bellied and red-headed woodpeckers, two other year-round residents. Here, though, it is much easier to distinguish between the two than it is with the hairy and downy woodpecker. 

4. Red-bellied Woodpecker

It is easy to identify this woodpecker because of its bright red head with feathers and slightly pink abdomen. You are far more likely to identify such birds based only on their head rather than their belly because of the obvious way these birds are often positioned, hanging to trees.

5. Pileated Woodpecker

The large size and vibrant array of red feathers covering its head make the Pileated Woodpecker a favorite among bird watchers. To prepare for the breeding season, these unusual birds are likely to invest a considerable amount of time. 

6. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

The yellow-bellied sapsucker is one of the few birds on our list that is migratory. They come during the winter and go as soon as spring breaks. Their pale yellow bellies are what give them their name, but males can also be recognized by their bright red foreheads and red around their necks.

7. Northern Flicker

North Carolina is a year-round destination for seeing the Northern Flicker. Throughout the winter, as Northern Flickers migrate southward after nesting, their numbers in North Carolina increase.

8. Red-cockaded Woodpecker

These birds’ red “cockades,” or crimson streaks on the upper portion of their faces, are what gave them their name. But this is essentially a characteristic of men. Amidst the seas of white feathers on their cheeks and the black that runs down their crest, it might be challenging to see the crimson stripe.

9. Ivory-billed Woodpecker

It has been years since we have actually seen these woodpeckers. They once flourished throughout the southern United States, but by the twentieth century, very few remained due to habitat destruction in the nineteenth century.

Read more: 18 Birds With Blue Eggs (in North America)

10. Acorn Woodpecker

Several acorn woodpeckers, despite not being native to North Carolina, are managed at the Durham branch of the Audubon Society. Their cream-white face and the small black ring around their beaks contrast with their brilliant red crest.

Conclusion

All woodpeckers serve vital roles in our ecosystem by controlling insect populations and providing nesting holes for avian species incapable of chipping out their own nests. Thanks to the ten different species of woodpeckers that North Carolina is home to, anyone visiting or living there should keep a watch out for one of these birds.

Make a commitment to protecting these amazing birds by reducing the amount of plastic you use, shutting off the lights in high-rise buildings at night to prevent bird collisions, or even doing something as simple as hanging feeders in your yard that are full of food for birds.