Woodpeckers in Wyoming

With 7 million acres of national forests and more than 2.5 million acres of national parks, Wyoming, the least populated US state, is a woodpecker paradise. The diversity of the hammering birds here is fairly robust, with nine regularly occurring species. The best place to see these birds is Yellowstone National Park during the summer breeding season. Note that only the red-headed woodpecker doesn’t breed in the state.

Wyoming acts as the meeting point of the yellow-shafted (East Coast variant) and red-shafted (West Coast variant) northern flickers as both the subspecies occur here.

Different Types of Woodpeckers Found in Wyoming

Name	Identifying Features	Where They Are Found in Wyoming
Northern Flicker	Brown body with black bars, white rump	Open woodlands, edges, and suburban areas
Downy Woodpecker	Small size, white back with black spots	Throughout forests, woodlands, and urban areas
Hairy Woodpecker	Larger size, all-black back, white underside	Wooded areas, forests, and parks
Red-headed Woodpecker	Red head, black and white body	Open woodlands, savannas, and agricultural areas
American Three-toed Woodpecker	Black back with white stripes, three toes	Mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, especially in western WY
Black-backed Woodpecker	Black back, white spots on wings	Coniferous forests, particularly during bark beetle outbreaks
Red-naped Sapsucker	Red nape, black and white head pattern	Mixed forests, particularly in mountainous regions
Lewis’s Woodpecker	Pink belly, gray collar, red face and breast	Open woodlands, particularly in river valleys and foothills
Williamson’s Sapsucker	Black back, white belly, red throat patch	Mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, especially in NW WY
Pileated Woodpecker	Large size, red crest, black body with white stripes	Large tracts of mature forests and woodlands
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Yellowish belly, black and white striped head	Woodlands with deciduous trees, particularly maples
Red-bellied Woodpecker	Red cap on head, black and white barred back	Sparse sightings, primarily in eastern and southeastern WY
White-headed Woodpecker	White head, black back	Coniferous forests at higher elevations, particularly in NW WY
Acorn Woodpecker	Black back with white patches, red cap	Oak woodlands and forests, primarily in southwestern WY

Out of the state’s fourteen woodpecker species, five are accidental. They are the last five on the above list. The most commonly occurring species, like the downy, hairy, and northern flicker, can be seen in backyard feeders, while the others can be seen in the forests and parks.