Birds of North America Home Page

North American Bird Search Box

This search box can be used to find bird species using bird's english, french or latin name, or to identify bird by its 4 letter Alpha Code

Field Guide for all the Birds of North America


Black-backed Woodpecker

4 Letter (english names) Alpha Code: BBWO (2)

Pic à dos noir

Picoides arcticus

Information, images and range maps on over 1,000 birds of North America, including sub-species, vagrants, introduced birds and possibilities

Birds of North America
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  • Birds of North America
  • Birds of North America
  • Birds of North America
  • Birds of North America

Life, Habitat & Pictures of North American Woodpeckers

B L W W W Family Latin Name
9.5" 24.1cm 16" 40.6cm 2.5oz 71g Picidae Picoides arcticus

  • Summer
  • Year Around
  • Winter
range map

The Black-backed Woodpecker is one of the two northern woodpeckers and the American Three-toed Woodpecker is the other. Both birds can be seen in search of food in the southern regions in the winter months. These woodpeckers prefer burnt out forests. After the trees have died, they will pry the bark from the trunks in search of grubs and insects.


References to Other Bird Sites:

Avibase - the world bird database This site provides the user with a complete list of bird species, broken down per country, or in the example of the US or Canada, per state and province. Here, bird species names are available in other languages, a great asset to be used as a translation of foreign bird names.

ABA - American Birding Association This site represents an organization that maintains official records of all birds species that have been proven to have been seen inside the perimeters of the North American Continent and the surrounding bodies of water. Regular revised versions are posted to keep the bird list current at all times. This is the list used by all serious birders over their lifetime. You may be aware of the movie called the "Big Year". It was with this list that all the competing birders used in an attempt to set a new record as to how many bird species that could be seen by an individual birder in one calendar year.

I hope you will take advantage of these suggested websites. I have used each of them, in one way or another, throughout the years in my quest to better identify and understand our fine feathered friends.


Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB