American Three-toed Woodpecker Photo Gallery
Adult male
Medium-sized mostly black woodpecker with white spots in the wings and barred flanks. Males have a yellow crown patch.
© Blair Dudeck / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, March 29, 2020Adult female
Black-and-white woodpecker with barred flanks and a barred black-and-white patch down the back. The amount of barring on the back varies regionally. Rocky Mountain birds have less barring.
© Bryan Calk / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, January 09, 2019Adult and juvenile
Excavates nest holes in dead trees, usually conifers. As young approach fledging, they chip noisily from the entrance of the cavity. Juveniles of both sexes have a small yellow crown patch.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 01, 2002Not all videos have soundAdult male
Mostly black woodpecker with variable barring on the back. Adult males have a yellow crown patch.
© Steve Calver / Macaulay LibraryWashington, May 15, 2017Male
Found in evergreen forests often where disturbances such as fire or disease outbreaks have increased the numbers of standing dead trees and insects.
© bellemare celine / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, September 29, 2019Female
Black-and-white woodpecker with barring on the back and flanks. As the name implies, has 3 instead of 4 toes.
© Chris Wood / Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, February 03, 2008Juvenile
Juveniles are similar to adults but duller overall and often have shorter bills. Juveniles of both sexes usually have a small yellow crown patch.
© Jeff Dyck / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, July 15, 2016Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Woodpeckers(Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae)
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