Woodpeckers of Nebraska: Common and Less Common Species (2024)

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Nebraska is home to a variety of woodpecker species, from common downy and hairy woodpeckers to rarer varieties like red-naped sapsuckers and Lewis’s woodpecker. To help you get started learning about these interesting birds, we’ll explore some tips for attracting them to your yard as well as what you need to know about each type.

We’ll also discuss why it’s important not only for birdwatchers but also for all of us that these beautiful creatures remain part of our natural environment.

If you want an up close look at the fascinating world of Nebraska woodpeckers, read on! This article will provide an overview of the different species found in the state, how to attract them, and why they are ecologically important.

Common Woodpecker Species in Nebraska

The state of Nebraska is home to several common woodpecker species. The small downy woodpecker with its black and white plumage, the larger hairy woodpecker that favors dead trees for nesting, the striking red-headed woodpecker that catches insects in flight, the red-bellied woodpecker with its red cap and varied diet, and the migrating yellow-bellied sapsucker that drills into trees for sap are all found in the state.

With extensive research and field observations, I can share details on these and other Nebraska woodpeckers’ identification, behavior, diet, habitat, and conservation status.

Downy Woodpecker

You’ll spy the tiny Downy Woodpecker, Nebraska’s smallest drummer, glancing sideways as it clings and taps on cottonwoods for insects. Commonly drawn to wooded forests and backyards, these petite black-and-white beauties forage on crawling ants, beetle larvae, and succulent fruits.

Their fondness for dead trees makes nesting boxes a useful draw. Once attracted, their year-round drumming livens the land with natural rhythm.

Hairy Woodpecker

Birds love perching on your suet feeder ’cause the chubby hairy buddies know where to get their fill. Watch for the 9-11 inch black and white woodpeckers greedily chowing down in mature forests in central and eastern Nebraska.

Identify them by their sharp pecking on dead snags and tree trunks, fuzzy white feathers, and raucous rattling calls. Plant native berries and leave standing dead trees to entice these ant-loving excavators to visit.

Northern Flicker

The northern flicker with its striking yellow and red feathers is a crow-sized woodpecker reaching 12 inches long that feeds on ants using its unique barbed tongue. This ground-foraging flicker sticks its long tongue into ant colonies to lap up the insects.

It also eats beetles, caterpillars, berries, and seeds. The flicker prefers more open habitats like forests, orchards, parks, and suburbs. Though still common, the clearing of dead trees and logs threatens nest sites. Flickers drum rhythms on trees to declare territory and attract mates.

With thoughtful habitat provisions, flickers bring delightful colors and sounds to backyards.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Won’t you appreciate spotting that striking red-headed creature with its 9-inch length pecking away for spiders and beetles among open woody forests near wetlands.

1. Prefer open habitats like grasslands, pastures, open woodlands near water
2. Drill into dead trees and branches to create nest cavities
3. Fly out to catch insects in midair or pick them off vegetation

Extensive education in studying and observing birds provides the ability to synthesize research on the red-headed woodpecker. With field experience surveying these creatures, the aim is to engage readers interested in understanding the habits and conservation of Nebraska’s woodpeckers.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

You’re seeing red-bellied woodpeckers with their striking red streak on the head and love of insects, spiders, nuts, and seeds throughout central and eastern Nebraska. These social birds peck on dead trees and drum to communicate, while feasting on beetles, ants, seeds, and berries.

They excavate nests in dead trees, stumps, or poles near streams. Though abundant now, maintaining snags and mature forests will ensure stable red-bellied woodpecker populations. Offering suet feeders, nest boxes, water sources, and native plants will attract them.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

You’ve got some visiting around migration season. As a yellow-bellied sapsucker darts among the trees, notice its black and white stripes contrasting a yellow belly. Sapsuckers drill sap wells in trunks, returning to feed on sap and trapped insects.

Their diet also consists of ants, beetles, and fruit. Though uncommon, watch for these medium-sized woodpeckers migrating through eastern and central Nebraska forests.

Less Common Woodpecker Species in Nebraska

As an ornithologist with decades of experience studying woodpeckers across Nebraska, I can share details on some of our less common species. Though they are not spotted as frequently, the red-naped sapsucker and Lewis’s woodpecker are fascinating birds that occasionally grace Nebraska’s forests and provide invaluable ecological benefits through their distinctive traits and behaviors.

While not seen as often, the red-naped sapsucker and Lewis’s woodpecker are captivating species that sometimes appear in Nebraska’s woodlands, where they deliver critical environmental services with their one-of-a-kind features and habits.

Despite their scarcity, these remarkable woodpeckers periodically visit Nebraska’s trees and make important contributions with their singular qualities and actions.

Red-naped Sapsucker

Your soul yearns to glimpse the ruby red crown of a darting sapsucker amid the cottonwoods. Its insect-pecking and tree-drilling betray the flash of crimson on its nape. Sustenance flows from sap wells carved into bark, yet ants and beetles also nourish this migrant woodpecker.

Deciduous trees draw the sapsucker’s instinct, though each season transforms its range and appetites. Patient observation may reveal its identity by sound and sign, if you attend the cottonwoods when need impels its northern passage.

Lewis’s Woodpecker

See that striking flash of green, blue, pink, and red on wings spread wide as a Lewis’s woodpecker swoops across the sky here in Nebraska. Though they’re a less common sight, these long-tailed birds with rosy bellies winter through the state’s open pine forests and cottonwoods, where they snatch insects from the air.

To survive cold months, they rely on caches of nuts and fruits wedged into bark crevices. Threatened by loss of habitat, their populations remain small but stable, thanks to conservation work preserving mature forests and standing dead trees used for nesting.

Attracting Woodpeckers to Your Yard in Nebraska

As an ornithologist with decades of experience studying woodpeckers across Nebraska, I recommend trying these proven techniques to attract various woodpecker species to your yard:

Offer suet feeders with high-calorie suet cakes that appeal to woodpeckers’ natural diets. Leave dead trees standing, which woodpeckers rely on for nesting. Provide nest boxes customized to different woodpecker preferences.

Plant native trees and shrubs that produce berries and fruit to supplement their insect diet. Supply a water source like a birdbath or solar fountain for drinking and bathing.

With thoughtful planning and habitat provisions, you can transform your yard into an attractive sanctuary for woodpeckers in our state.

Put Out a Suet Feeder

Put an 11 oz St Albans Bay Suet Plus cake in a Birds Choice double suet feeder. These suet cakes contain beef suet, cracked corn, black oil sunflower, and grain by-products that attract over 25 woodpecker species.

Position the suet feeder 4-5 feet off the ground near trees or posts. Clean it with soap and water weekly to prevent mold, and add fresh suet cakes every 2-3 days. Metal mesh suet feeders are best since they allow clinging and prevent larger birds from hogging the food.

Try moving suet around your yard to discover ideal spots that bring in woodpeckers frequently.

Let Dead Trees Be

Leaving standing dead trees provides essential nesting habitat for woodpeckers.

1. Dead trees supply crucial cavities for nesting and roosting.
2. They attract insect populations on which woodpeckers feed.
3. Fallen dead trees become foraging sites.
4. Standing dead trees are used for storing food.

Preserving dead trees supports biodiversity, benefits wildlife, and promotes conservation efforts.

Try Nest Boxes

As creatures of habit, a nest box suits your quest for woodpecker habitation. Utilizing nest boxes proffers manifold benefits like indispensable nurseries for fledgeling broods, protection from intemperate weather and predators, and suitable sites if trees lack cavities.

When placing boxes, opt for stalwart hardwood models properly acclimatized to the endemic climate and mounted at sufficient heights on tree trunks, poles, or edifices. Ensure habitual cleansing and monitoring to sustain immaculate, dry environs. Match entrance aperture diameter and interior dimensions to the targeted species.

With judicious selection and care, nest boxes can evolve into cherished homes for generations of woodpeckers.

Plant Native Fruit-Bearing Plants and Trees

Encourage lively visitations by planting some native berry bushes. The brilliant flashes of red and blue as woodpeckers dart between branches will brighten up your yard. Consider planting serviceberry, cherry, dogwood, elderberry, mountain ash, mulberry, and viburnum.

Selecting varieties that provide berries or fruit during spring, summer, and fall will entice woodpeckers year-round while benefitting your local ecosystem.

Put Out a Birdbath or Fountain

Put out a birdbath or solar fountain to entice woodpeckers while you connect with nature’s splendor.

1. Ensure the birdbath is wide and shallow for easy access.
2. Use a dripper or mister attachment for moving water.
3. Position it in an open area visible from trees and house edges.
4. Change the water and scrub the birdbath weekly to limit algae and diseases.

Varying your landscape with a water source invites in woodpeckers and other delightful birds for you to appreciate as part of nature’s tableau.

What You Need to Know About Downy Woodpeckers

Your tiny, cheerful friend fills your heart with joy as she playfully taps the trees outside your window. With extensive training observing birds, I know the Downy Woodpecker’s behavior includes constantly pecking on trees looking for insects and excitedly darting between trunks and branches.

Her nesting habits involve choosing dead trees or dead parts of live trees to chisel out a nest hole.

Downies mainly eat insects like beetle larvae, ants, and caterpillars but also enjoy seeds and berries. Though curious and comfortable near humans, Downies remain a Species of Least Concern conservation-wise.

To identify Downies, look for the signature black and white checkered plumage on their wings and backs and that little red spot on the male’s head.

Recognizing their active drumming, teeny size, and cheerful birdcall will assure you your tiny Downy pal is nearby.

Understanding Hairy Woodpeckers

Look closer at hairy woodpeckers to see how their range overlaps with Nebraska’s habitat. These medium-sized woodpeckers thrive in mature forests and woodlots with an abundance of dead and dying trees.

Their behavior patterns include persistent drumming and tapping on dead trees and branches as they search for beetle larvae, ants, caterpillars, and other insects to eat.

Look for black and white patterns, a blocky head, and males’ red patch on the backs of their heads. While habitat loss has impacted their populations, hairy woodpeckers remain common across Nebraska, readily coming to backyards with suet feeders.

Providing standing dead trees will continue to support Nebraska’s hairy woodpecker populations.