Woodpeckers in North Carolina

A total of eleven types of woodpeckers call North Carolina home. The hairy and downy are small black-and-white woodpeckers living in the state. In fact, the downy is the smallest at 6.1 inches. Both birds are very common in the state, mostly in the western part. Contrasting them in size, the pileated woodpecker is the biggest at 17.5 inches.

Different Types of Woodpeckers Found in North Carolina

Name	Identifying Features	Where They Are Found in North Carolina
Downy Woodpecker	Small size, black and white plumage, red spot on head	Throughout the state
Red-bellied Woodpecker	Red patch on the back of the head	Common in woodlands and suburbs
Northern Flicker	Brown plumage with black spots, white rump	Open areas, woodlands, and parks
Pileated Woodpecker	Large size, striking red crest, black and white plumage	Forested areas across the state
Hairy Woodpecker	Similar to Downy but larger in size	Wooded areas and suburban parks
Red-headed Woodpecker	Entirely red head and neck	Sparse populations in open woodlands
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Yellow belly and white stripes on wings	Forested areas and orchards
Ladder-backed Woodpecker	Black and white barred back, ladder-like pattern	Limited to the southeastern region
Red-cockaded Woodpecker	Black cap and nape, white cheek patches	Longleaf pine forests in the east
American Three-toed Woodpecker	Black and white plumage, three-toed feet	Found in remote coniferous forests
Ivory-billed Woodpecker	Large size, black and white plumage, ivory-colored bill	Historically, in bottomland forests

The American three-toed, ladder-backed, and red-cockaded woodpeckers are accidental species living in the state. The red-cockaded woodpecker is an endangered bird since it is uniquely adapted to NC’s longleaf pine ecosystem, which has significantly declined in the last 200 years. The ivory-billed woodpecker was once an inhabitant of the old-growth forests of North Carolina but is now considered extinct. Its last confirmed sighting was in 1944 in Louisiana.