The sexes are similar, but the male ladder-backed woodpecker has extensive red on the crown, which is lacking in the females. Similar Species. See the closely similar Nuttall’s woodpecker.

Somehow, a woodpecker in the desert just didn’t seem right. I was hiking through desert scrub in upper Coyote Canyon north of Borrego Springs when I spotted what I first thought was a Nuttall ...

Male ladder-backed woodpeckers have red crown on top of their head, as well as a black line that extends from the eye to the neck that is quite noticeable on the white face.

I don’t think it’s a ladder-backed woodpecker only because they would be extremely rare in Northern California. They tend to stay mostly down south, although with the weather changes, more and ...

The ladder-backed woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) is a common bird throughout much of the lower western half of US. It can be observed almost throughout the entire state of Texas, with the ...

The ladder-backed woodpecker gets its name from the black and white barring on its back and wings, and it’s known for its four toes arranged in an X pattern. Courtesy Josh Bruening.

Our most common woodpeckers are the medium-sized — 7.25–9.5 inch body lengths — and include the red-bellied, golden-fronted, ladder-backed and red-headed woodpeckers.

These ladder-backed woodpeckers are the familiar year-round woodpecker species in our area, ranging across the southwest deserts and mesquite woodlands.

Photo Caption: This red-bellied woodpecker on the Mims place was photographed while taking a brief break. Photograph by Forrest M. Mims III. Winter is the best time to watch woodpeckers at work ...

Ladder-backed woodpeckers are slightly smaller than other area woodpeckers, and adult males have a red crown extending to their eyes. Ladder-backed woodpecker males and females have distinctive, ...