Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

This small woodpecker inhabits arid scrub, desert washes and mesquite thickets across the southwestern United States and Mexico, often favouring cactus and thorny vegetation over tall trees. Its ladder-like black-and-white barred back is distinctive at close range, and it announces itself with sharp calls and light tapping as it forages on branches and stems low to the ground. Cooler morning hours in spring, during the breeding season, offer the best combination of activity and comfortable viewing conditions in its hot desert habitat.