Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, and Flickers

Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, and Flickers

Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium sized birds with chisel like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward, and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. There are 9 Michigan species.

American Three-toed Woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis

Black-backed Woodpecker, Picoides arcticus

Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens

Hairy Woodpecker, Picoides villosus

Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus

Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus

Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus

Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius