Nuttall's Woodpecker
Dryobates nuttallii
About This Species
Look for this small woodpecker working oak woodlands and riparian groves along the Pacific coast, often clinging to slender branches rather than trunks. Its diagnostic sound is a dry rattling call and steady tapping as it probes bark for insects; pairs are most active and vocal in the cooler hours of morning. Spring, when birds are establishing territories and drumming, offers the best chance of a clear sighting.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Stay several metres back and let the bird continue foraging undisturbed; if it stops feeding and watches you, you are already too close.
- Woodpeckers and their nest cavities are protected under migratory bird laws across their range, so avoid disturbing active nest holes, especially during the spring breeding season.
- Viewing from a trail with binoculars is safer for the bird and yields better views than approaching a tree directly.
LCAvesPiciformesPicidae
Seasonal Activity
1,175,718 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.