Red-Bellied Woodpecker or Ladder-Backed Woodpecker ?

Call

Audio by Paul Marvin

Call

Audio by Jonathon Jongsma

/ CC BY-SA 3.0

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Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

Dryobates scalaris

How to recognise a ladder-backed woodpecker?

General appearance

The ladder-backed woodpecker is a small bird characterized by its distinctive black and white barred pattern across its back resembling a ladder. It has a white belly and flanks, while its wings and tail are black with white spots. The bird's face features a white stripe above and below the eye, with a contrasting black line running from the bill to the neck.

Male vs female

Males can be distinguished by a red crown on their heads, while females lack this red crown, having a black and white head pattern instead. This sexual dimorphism is particularly noticeable during the breeding season.

Juvenile

Juvenile ladder-backed woodpeckers resemble adult females but have a duller and less distinct barring pattern on their back and wings. Their head patterns are similarly muted, lacking the clear contrast seen in adults. They do not possess the red crown seen in male adults.

Size

6.3 - 7.1 in/0.7 - 1.7 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The ladder-backed woodpecker typically inhabits dry regions in the US Southwest, inclusive of brushland, mesquites, desert washes, river woods, groves, and towns.

Additional range

This woodpecker can be found in unexpected habitats like oaks and pinyon-juniper stands in foothills, Texas coastal woods, and Central American pine-oak woods, thorn forests, and coastal mangroves.

Range Map

What do ladder-backed woodpeckers like to eat?

Natural diet

The ladder-backed woodpecker primarily feeds on a wide variety of insects. It consumes beetles and their larvae, caterpillars, true bugs, and ants. In addition to insects, this woodpecker also eats some berries and fruits, including cactus fruit, as part of its natural diet.

Bird feeders

Ladder-backed woodpeckers may visit bird feeders, where they are likely to consume offerings such as suet, peanut butter, and sunflower seeds. They are attracted to high-fat and high-protein foods that resemble their natural diet in nutritional content.

What does a ladder-backed woodpecker sound like?

The ladder-backed woodpecker's vocalizations are characterized by a sharp pik, akin to the Downy Woodpecker, and features a descending whinny as well. Its call pattern is flat, encompassing a range of types - from a chirp/chip to a drum, rattle, and trill. These diverse sounds contribute to a unique and complex song repertoire for this woodpecker species.

Call

Audio by Paul Marvin

Call

Audio by Paul Marvin

There's more to learn about Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

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Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinus

General appearance

The Red-bellied Woodpecker measures approximately 10 inches (25 cm) in size with a unique coloration. It has narrow black and white bars on its back, a buffy brown chest, and a face with a striking red stripe that extends over the top and back of the head. Its wings are broad, rounded, and short, featuring unique white patches noticeable in flight. The tail shape is multi-pointed and wedge-shaped.

Male vs female

Both males and females possess the same general physical traits including a black, red, tan, and white color scheme. However, marking differences can help distinguish between the two. A notable difference is in the level of red coloration on the head area; while both sexes feature a bright red stripe over the top and back of their heads, females tend to have less red compared to their male counterparts.

Juvenile

Juvenile Red-bellied Woodpeckers closely resemble the adults in coloration and physical traits, except for the striking red stripe, which typically develops as they mature. Therefore, younger woodpeckers may have a less pronounced red stripe or none at all, compared to adults.

Size

9.0 - 10.5 in/2.0 - 3.2 oz

There's more to learn about Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

Dryobates scalaris

General appearance

The ladder-backed woodpecker is a small bird characterized by its distinctive black and white barred pattern across its back resembling a ladder. It has a white belly and flanks, while its wings and tail are black with white spots. The bird's face features a white stripe above and below the eye, with a contrasting black line running from the bill to the neck.

Male vs female

Males can be distinguished by a red crown on their heads, while females lack this red crown, having a black and white head pattern instead. This sexual dimorphism is particularly noticeable during the breeding season.

Juvenile

Juvenile ladder-backed woodpeckers resemble adult females but have a duller and less distinct barring pattern on their back and wings. Their head patterns are similarly muted, lacking the clear contrast seen in adults. They do not possess the red crown seen in male adults.

Size

6.3 - 7.1 in/0.7 - 1.7 oz

There's more to learn about Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

How to tell the Red-Bellied Woodpecker from the Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

Visual differences

The Red-bellied Woodpecker is larger, around 9 to 10.5 inches, with black and white bars on the back, a buffy-brown chest, and a red head stripe. The Ladder-backed Woodpecker is smaller, 6.3 to 7 inches, with a "ladder" pattern on a white back, black and white head, and a red crown on males only. Both species have distinct barred patterns, but the Red-bellied has a red-headed stripe extending over the head, while Ladder-backed males have a red crown, and females have no red, plus a white line above and below the eye.

Key differences and behavior

The Red-bellied Woodpecker and Ladder-backed Woodpecker exhibit distinct behaviors and preferences. Red-bellied Woodpeckers thrive in deciduous forests and are omnivorous, consuming a mix of insects and plant material, including acorns and fruits, often raiding nests of other birds, like the red-cockaded woodpecker. In contrast, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers inhabit dry and varied habitats, such as desert washes and thorn forests, primarily feeding on insects and occasionally cactus fruits. Red-bellied pairs actively defend territories using antagonistic displays, while Ladder-backed pairs may remain together year-round, engaging in elaborate courtship displays. Both species excavate cavity nests, but the Red-bellied Woodpecker occasionally uses existing cavities, displaying flexibility in nest site selection. Both equally participate in chick-rearing. At feeders, both are attracted to high-fat foods, with Red-bellied Woodpeckers favoring nuts and suet, while Ladder-backed Woodpeckers also consume peanut butter.

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