Iowa, a favorite destination for birdwatchers, is home to around eleven woodpecker species. Some of them, like the red-headed woodpecker and yellow-bellied sapsucker, are migratory, traveling from Iowa and heading south for the winter, while others reside in the state year-round.
The largest woodpecker in Iowa is the pileated woodpecker, measuring 17.5 inches in length. In contrast, the black-and-white downy woodpecker is the smallest at 6.1 inches.