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Woodpeckers are one of the most fascinating avians you’re able to find in your backyard – and did you recognise that there are7 species in Illinois ?
There ’s a ripe probability that if you have more than one woodpecker claver you , you may actually be play host to a few dissimilar species !
Legend for the following woodpecker migration and range maps
Although the list below hold in all the usual woodpeckers found in Illinois , it ’s potential to find a floating species of woodpecker that ’s not native to this particular state . If you do see a vagabond species , it should be consider an highly rare sighting !
The follow legend can be used for each woodpecker species map to determine what meter of twelvemonth you may see each woodpecker in your area .
7 woodpecker species are found in Illinois , include the Hairy Woodpecker , Yellow - bellied Sapsucker , Red - headed Woodpecker , Downy Woodpecker , Northern Flicker , Pileated Woodpecker , and Red - bellied Woodpecker . Several of these peckerwood species are permanent occupant , while others are much rarer and can be only spot seasonally .
Legend for the following woodpecker migration and range maps
The 7 Woodpecker Species in Illinois
Hairy Woodpecker
Dryobates villosus
Order : Piciformes
kin : Picidae
Size:7.1 – 10.2 in ( 18 – 26 cm )
If there is a chance you ’re move to descry a woodpecker in your backyard somewhere in the land , then it ’s plausibly going to be a hairy species ! The Dryobates villosus is exceedingly common , but it ’s actually fairly unsure and withdraw . They have very simple call but will be happy to drill and drum on just about anything . They are also meridian opportunists – they ’ll steal sap from kettle of fish drilled by other bird ! The hairy woodpecker is also make out for its mighty peck – it looks small , but it drill loudly !
The haired woodpecker course has a passably hairy appearance , though it ’s also notable for its relatively tenacious , pointed bill , as well as its distinct black and white coloring . Some species , however , can carry a brownish tint . They are generally white to the pectus and are speckled to the wings .
Where to depart ? This Picidae does n’t tend to be busy about climate , though you ’ll normally see it amongst conifers . There are more than eight million of these birds across the continent , and their numbers are grow – there are no particular state of matter where they are most prolific .
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Size:7.1 – 8.7 in ( 18 – 22 cm )
This woodpecker is a variety of Bronx cheer that will happily practise jam to pledge tasty sap from within , something that ’s very welcoming to other species . These bird are moderately similar to other sapsucker in terms of behavior and in terms of looks . yellow-bellied - bellied sapsuckers incline to be very unique drillers – you will likely acknowledge their staggered pecking if they happen upon wood or metal near your railway yard . These birds are known for pecking and making nests extremely high up – over 6,000 metrical unit in the aviation .
As the name suggest , you will usually be able to recognize a yellow - belly out sapsucker for its undimmed stomach , however , it often has a reddish diadem and nape , with stunning black and white bars and flecks down its body , rear end , and extension .
The Yellow - belly out Sapsucker is the most migrant pecker in the worldly concern , breeding as far north as eastern Arkansas and the northerly boreal forest , and wintering as far south as Panama and the Caribbean . Much like other US aboriginal sapsucker , this chick will normally be found in forest spots , though this specie will transmigrate from the central plains and humble midwest south towards the west of the Appalachians .
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Size:7.5 – 9.1 in ( 19 – 23 cm )
This declamatory , boldly - colored bird is a marvelous sight for many , and while you might not hear it call too often , its rale and drum on tree diagram will likely be a common sound across its native province . However , it does n’t actually beak at tree for solid food – it snatches flying brute as they waver past . This woodpecker has woefully fallen in numbers pool over the years due to food scarcity . However , when it ca n’t snatch up a bug or two , it happily feasts on nuts and acorn .
Their name is a game show – they have bright violent crown and heads , with white-hot soundbox plumage and black and white wings and tails . You plausibly wo n’t hear their calls too aloud .
These acorn - forage birds shop at the eastern to cardinal states , stretching up as far as out Canada . They run to relish the warmer range , however , as they will frequent spots in Florida and down in New Mexico .
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Size:5.5 – 6.7 in ( 14 – 17 centimeter )
Truly tiny , the cunning sericeous woodpecker is a Picidae that ’s vulgar across the north to central states . In fact , they are the smallest aboriginal peckerwood in the country . They lean to prefer milder climates on the whole but are bonk to travel around . They apply keen , exclusive call , and incline to enjoy feed on seeds in eater . If you have any woodpeckers in your backyard , there is a very good chance it is a Dryobates pubescens . They are just handsome than your common garden sparrow .
Exceptionally minor but unabashedly noisy , the downlike woodpecker is largely blackened and white with spot , and the males tend to have red crowns . They have diverge spots and stripes across their wings and feathers – entail that neither one nor two may ever look the same !
The sericeous pecker be just about everywhere across the United States , with sighting across state as diverse as Florida and Alaska ! If the climate is mild enough – and not too cheery – then there ’s every chance you ’ll spot this bird in your yard . There are around 13 million of them across the continent .
Northern Flicker
genus Colaptes auratus
Size:11.0 – 12.2 in ( 28 – 31 cm )
This Picidae is known by many , many different names – and you may well have see it referred to as the Yellow or Red - shafted Flicker . It ’s a evenhandedly rough-cut bird and is also one of the big woodpeckers know across the states . Unlike most peter , however , they run to feast mainly on ground worm – emmet , in particular ! This Flicker will select to hop around to feed , but may even choose to site itself on branches on occasion when it fancy a fruit delicacy or two .
The Northern Flicker has plumage colors that can vary ( hence its many name ) , but you may usually spot these birds thanks to their flecked arse and wing . They often have black marking around their face and tip , and you ’ll be able to tell them aside from other Picidae on sheer size alone .
Northern Flickers tend to live out east but can be found high up in the northwesterly range of Alaska , and even down towards the west coast – that applies to the yellow - cheat variety , in any case ! flutter of this genus tend to be reasonably unwashed across the US , with almost ten million specimen estimated at present in North America .
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Size:15.8 – 19.3 in ( 40 – 49 cm )
Large and gaudy , this peckerwood is fairly easy to notice – peculiarly as their mating cries are so trenchant ! Rather tragically , this husky Picidae is sometimes mistaken for a woodpecker that ’s thought to now be out – the ivory - bill pecker , which has n’t been seen in the US for many years . The pileated woodpecker , almost crowlike in height , lean to banquet on ants and minibeasts find deep in decaying tree diagram . This species ’ cakehole - making can help give tax shelter to other animals – making it a welcome sight .
Beyond their meretricious vociferation and wood rapping , the pileated woodpecker has a shocking red crown , with monochromatic body and long , slight beaks . The male of the metal money is easy to spot as it has a facial marking rather like a mustache .
The pileated woodpecker does n’t tend to be too fickle about where it like to live . However , you ’ll mainly find it living out in easterly state , though as far north as Nova Scotia ! If you ’re a California indigen , it ’s also not unheard of to spot this common family Picidae .
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Size:9.4 in ( 24 cm )
Increasingly common , the carmine - belly pecker run to savor flocking to backyard feeders and has a call you might just recognize . They only ever drum during mating or attraction , and if you ’ve ever tried to enjoin these birds aside in price of grammatical gender – it ’s almost impossible on glance alone . This is a mid - sized hoot that does n’t lean to do too much damage to tree , it ’s one of the gentler woodpeckers you ’ll chance in the US wilds . They tend to choose pecking forth at hardwood and will clump to forests when they are n’t at the eater .
The cherry-red - bellied peckerwood , of course , has a red tum , but you will mainly cognise it for its red - tinged pate and its bar - cake plume , as well as a chocolate-brown - colored front and face . Again , it ’s gruelling to tell the males and female asunder .
These woodpeckers lean to be common sights out towards the east and southeasterly states , from Texas out to Florida . They do n’t be given to move around too much , particularly as they will slip nesting spots from other birds !
How to Attract Illinois Woodpeckers to Your Yard
Want to see more woodpeckers in your backyard ?
As you may see , there are more than a few grand peckerwood mintage to look out for across Illinois . Some may not constellate to garden and backyards in favor of forests and timber progress to – however , there ’s a chance a rarified bird or two may make its way to you .
If you ’re keen to begin fleck peckerwood in your yard , why not take a look at our guide onhow to attract peckerwood ? That ’ll give you the rudiments of what ’s need to pull in woodpeckers .
Then , we ’d urge reading our buyer ’s guide onchoosing the best peckerwood feeder . Setting up a peckerwood feeder or two is the best path to undertake that peckerwood will bring down your yard . While you ’re at it , do make certain to read our full guide onwhat to feed woodpeckers , too – as experience their dieting right hand will make a lot of remainder !
There are a clustering of other style to attract woodpecker such asgetting a bird bathand planting native trees that woodpeckers love .
All State Woodpeckers
need to see what pecker species are find out in other states ? Here ’s our complete lean of woodpeckers find in each state :
