Like other woodpeckers they readily eat at suet feeders when offered, but they can be quite elusive and hard to attract. They are the largest species of woodpeckers in Iowa as well as North America. Pileated Woodpeckers are year-round residents Iowa, but mainly in far Eastern Iowa close to the border of Wisconsin and Illinois. Their population has been on the decline for sometime and they are becoming more and more rare to see in some places.ĥ. You can recognize them by their bright red heads with black and white bodies, they are quite unmistakable. They are also considered to be among the most skilled flycatchers when it comes to woodpeckers and will commonly store live insects that they catch in tree bark for later. Red-headed Woodpeckers feed mostly on insects like beetles, seeds, and berries. They can sometimes be seen visiting bird feeders and then darting to a tree where they will stash the tasty treats in holes or bark for another day. In Northwestern Iowa they only have a breeding range, so look for them around the Sioux City area in the Spring and Summer. Red-headed Woodpeckers are less common at bird feeders than the first 3 on this list of woodpeckers in Iowa, but they are found throughout most the state in both the breeding season and in the winter. Red-headed Woodpecker Image: Larysa Johnston | Instead look for their black and white barred wings and red mohawk down their neck to identify them.Ĥ. Red-bellied Woodpeckers do have a red stomach but it is more of a pale red but is often unnoticeable when they are up against a tree or feeder. They can also be seen frequenting bird feeders, especially suet feeders.Īt first glance you notice their red heads but resist the temptation to call the Red-headed Woodpeckers, once you scroll down to the next woodpecker in Iowa you’ll see the difference. They are significantly larger than Downy Woodpeckers and very similar in size to Hairy Woodpeckers. Red-bellied Woodpeckers are common throughout Iowa year round. Here’s an article we wrote that goes into a bit more detail on the differences between a Hairy and Downy Woodpecker.ģ. It’s quite possible you’ve seen them both and just assumed they were the same species. They are very commonly seen at bird feeders and eat all of the same things as their little brother the Downy. The Hairy Woodpecker is also a year-round resident to Iowa and the majority of the United States. The Downy shot is a bit closer up so the size difference is hard to gauge, but the Hairy Woodpecker is noticeably larger and has a longer beak. The Downy is on the left and the Hairy is on the right. See the image below that shows them side by side. They can be downright difficult to tell apart except fro the larger size of the Hairy. Next up is the Hairy Woodpecker, who looks strikingly similar to the Downy. Downy Woodpeckers prefer nesting in dead trees or dead branches on live trees.Ģ. It is not unusual to catch a Downy Woodpecker drinking nectar from a hummingbird feeder. They do not migrate and are also very common in the winter time.Īside from being frequent visitors at bird feeders they also will hammer away at trees looking for insect larvae or feed on berries and acorns. Whenever I put up a new feeder in my yard Downys are always among the first to visit it along with chickadees and titmice. They are very common at feeders and easily attracted with suet, peanuts, mixed seed, or black sunflower seed. Downy Woodpecker Image: ĭowny Woodpeckers are the smallest of all woodpeckers in North America and can be found in Iowa all year throughout the whole state. For each species we’ll have a picture to help you identify it, a bit about its size, a brief description with some fun facts, as well as where and how they can be found in the state of Iowa.īe sure to read to the end where we’ll talk about how to attract woodpeckers to your yard.Įnjoy! Woodpeckers in state 1. In this article we’re going to talk about all 7 of these species of woodpeckers in Iowa. The 7 species of woodpeckers found in Iowa are the Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Of these 7 species, several are year-round residents to Iowa while others just live there part time. Of those 22 species I’ve found that there are 7 species of woodpeckers in Iowa. There are over 300 species of woodpeckers in the world, about 22 of which are found in the United States.
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