American Three-toed Woodpecker Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesAmerican Three-toed Woodpecker
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, 2002Adult 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, 2016Similar SpeciesBlack-backed Woodpecker
Male
Black-backed Woodpeckers have a solid black back, whereas American Three-toed Woodpeckers have at least some barring on the back.
© Luke Berg / Macaulay LibraryOntario, January 29, 2017Similar SpeciesHairy Woodpecker
Female (Rocky Mts.)
Hairy Woodpeckers have a white patch down the center of the back, whereas America Three-toed Woodpeckers have barring on the back (except populations in the Rockies, which have less barring).
© Jerry Elling / Macaulay LibraryArizona, September 30, 2016Similar SpeciesHairy Woodpecker
Male (Rocky Mts.)
Hairy Woodpeckers have unmarked sides, whereas American Three-toed Woodpeckers have barred sides.
© Nate Brown / Macaulay LibraryUtah, January 02, 2014Similar SpeciesDowny Woodpecker
Female (Rocky Mts.)
Downy Woodpeckers are smaller and lack the barred sides of American Three-toed Woodpeckers.
© Chris Wood / Macaulay LibraryColorado, January 10, 2016Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Woodpeckers(Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae)
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