Woodpeckers in Texas

Woodpeckers are quite widespread in the US, with over 20 native species. More than half of all these species are found in Texas, one of the US states most woodpeckers call home. The largest species in the US, the Pileated woodpecker, and the smallest, the downy woodpecker, are both found in Texas.

The Piney Woods temperate coniferous forests in Eastern Texas are home to most of the state’s woodpeckers. Species found in these regions include the downy, hairy, red-billed, and pileated woodpeckers, northern flicker, and yellow-bellied sapsucker. Indeed, the red-billed woodpeckers are found throughout the state in its northern, southern, and central parts.

Different Types of Woodpeckers Found in Texas

Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Williamson’s Sapsucker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker

The ivory-billed species is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN and has not been sighted in Texas in the last 50 years. The red-cockaded woodpeckers are another endangered species found only in a small part of the country, including the Piney Woods region in eastern Texas. The red-breasted sapsucker is also rare in the state, though its federal conservation status is ‘least concern.’