Alberta is home to several species of woodpeckers. These medium-sized birds are known for using their strong beaks to hammer on trees in search of insects and larvae. Woodpeckers play an important role in forest ecosystems by creating nesting sites for other birds and controlling insect populations.
Downy Woodpecker
The downy woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in Alberta. Males have a red patch on the back of their heads. These birds are common at backyard bird feeders. Downy woodpeckers make short, high-pitched peeping sounds as they look for food. They mainly eat insects but will also eat seeds from bird feeders.
Hairy Woodpecker
Very similar looking to the downy woodpecker, the hairy woodpecker is a bit larger with a longer, heavier bill. It is mostly black and white with a patch of red on the back of the head. Hairy woodpeckers create nesting holes in dead trees. Their call is a sharp “peek!” noise. They feed on insects, especially beetle larvae found under bark.
Northern Flicker
The northern flicker is one of the largest woodpeckers found in Alberta. It is beige-brown with black spots and barring. The underside of the wings and tail have bright yellow feathers. Flickers mainly eat ants and beetles which they find by probing in soil. They can often be seen foraging on the ground. When in flight, their distinctive flashing yellow wings identify them.
Pileated Woodpecker
With its distinctive bright red crest, the pileated woodpecker is an impressive bird and Alberta’s largest woodpecker species. Mostly black with white stripes on the face and neck, this crow-sized bird leaves tell-tale rectangular holes in dead trees when creating nests. Pileated woodpeckers use their long, chisel-like bills to excavate deep into wood searching for carpenter ants and beetle larvae.
Red-headed Woodpecker
True to its name, the red-headed woodpecker has a solid red head and throat. Their upper bodies are black with large white patches on the wings. Red-headed woodpeckers are adept flycatchers, swooping from perches to catch insects in the air. They also eat nuts and seeds. These birds are declining across their range due to habitat loss and competition for nest sites with introduced species like starlings.
Red-naped Sapsucker
The red-naped sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker with striking black and white patterning, red on the crown and nape, and a pale yellow belly. As their name suggests, these birds drill into tree bark to get at the sap underneath. They will also eat the cambium layer of the tree. In addition to tree sap, red-naped sapsuckers eat insects.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Closely related to the red-naped sapsucker, the yellow-bellied sapsucker has distinctive yellow on its belly and throat. The back is mottled black and white. Males have a bright red forehead and crown. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers drill orderly rows of sap wells in tree bark. They feed on the sap as well as trapped insects. These woodpeckers migrate south for the winter.
American Three-toed Woodpecker
The American three-toed woodpecker lives up to its name with only three toes on each foot. It is black and white with yellow spotting on the crown. They feed mostly on wood-boring beetle larvae found in standing dead and decaying coniferous trees. Three-toed woodpeckers are found in mature boreal forests. Their populations are vulnerable to habitat loss from logging practices.
Black-backed Woodpecker
The black-backed woodpecker has black wings and back contrasting with a white belly, throat and face. Males have a yellow cap. They inhabit burned boreal forests where they feed on wood-boring beetle larvae in dead and dying trees. This habitat specialization makes them vulnerable to fire suppression efforts that reduce quality habitat.
Distribution in Alberta
Woodpeckers can be found across Alberta in a variety of wooded habitats. The boreal forests in the northern part of the province host species like the three-toed, black-backed and pileated woodpeckers. Central Alberta and the foothills have good populations of northern flickers, downy and hairy woodpeckers. The red-headed woodpecker reaches its western range limit in eastern Alberta.
Best Places to See Woodpeckers
Some of the top places to observe woodpeckers in Alberta include:
- Elk Island National Park – Pileated, hairy, downy, red-naped sapsucker
- Cypress Hills Provincial Park – Red-headed, red-naped sapsucker
- Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park – Northern flicker, downy
- Waterton Lakes National Park – Black-backed, three-toed
- Kananaskis Country – Three-toed, black-backed, northern flicker
Attracting Woodpeckers to Your Yard
You can increase your chances of seeing woodpeckers by making your yard attractive to them:
- Put up a suet feeder – Woodpeckers love suet!
- Offer black oil sunflower seeds
- Install a nesting box suitable for smaller woodpecker species
- Provide a source of fresh water
- Allow dead standing trees or snags to remain undisturbed
Fun Facts About Alberta Woodpeckers
- The pileated woodpecker can drill into trees at speeds up to 15-16 pecks per second!
- The tongue of a woodpecker extends two to three times the length of its bill, allowing it to probe deep into holes.
- Woodpeckers have specially adapted feet with two toes pointing forward and two back to better grip vertical surfaces.
- Woodpecker skulls have spongy bone to cushion their brains from the repeated impacts of drumming on trees.
- Three-toed woodpeckers have the shortest breeding seasons lasting only 27-28 days from egg-laying to chick fledging.
Threats and Conservation
Habitat loss and fragmentation present threats to woodpeckers in Alberta. Fire suppression in old growth forests decreases habitat for fire-dependent species like the black-backed woodpecker. Landowners can help conserve woodpecker habitat by leaving dead standing trees whenever it is safe to do so.
Summary
Alberta has a diversity of woodpecker species including downy, hairy, pileated, northern flicker, red-headed, red-naped sapsucker, yellow-bellied sapsucker, American three-toed, and black-backed woodpeckers. These birds are found across the province’s forests where they play important roles controlling insects, pollinating plants, and creating nesting cavities for other wildlife. Protecting large tracts of mature woodland habitat will help ensure Alberta’s woodpecker populations thrive far into the future.