Picoides arcticus
The Black-backed Woodpecker frequently chooses the top of a broken snag on which to perch and drum during the spring courtship season. The yellow-capped males are so focused on this activity that they are easily approached. Black-backed Woodpeckers are rarely seen, unfortunately, so these courtship displays are uncommon sights. For the best chance of seeing a Black-backed Woodpecker, enter a newly burned forest (where wood-boring beetles thrive), and follow your ears. Woodpeckers use their stiff tail feathers to prop themselves up against trees. The scientific name arcticus reflects this bird's northern distribution. |
I.D.: General: solid black back; white underparts; black barring on the sides; predominantly black head with a black 'mustache' and a single white line below the eye; 3 toes; black tail with pure white outer tail feathers. Male: yellow crown. Female: black crown. Size: L 9-10 in. (23-25 cm). Range: locally uncommon resident in the Rockies north of Wyoming; locally common in large burns throughout western Montana and northern Idaho. Habitat: coniferous forests, disturbed areas, avalanche slopes and burns in the montane. Nesting: typically in the northern boreal forest; excavates a cavity in a dead or dying conifer trunk or limb; excavation may take up to 12 days; pair incubates 4 eggs for up to 2 weeks. Feeding: gleans under bark flakes for larval and adult wood-boring insects; occasionally eats berries. Voice: call is a low pik; drumming is a prolonged series of steady bursts. Similar Species: Three-toed Woodpecker: white back with black, horizontal barring. Williamson's Sapsucker: male has a black breast, a white rump and a white wing patch. |
