6 Reasons Why Woodpeckers Have Special Meaning

Which type of woodpecker is your favorite? Out of more than woodpecker species in North America, Birds & Blooms readers adore these common fliers. Find out which woodpecker sightings have extra special meaning for your fellow backyard birders.

Do owl sightings have special meaning?

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Courtesy Lori Schimpf

“Red-bellied woodpeckers have a darling call and are so adorable as they glide sideways around a tree, pecking for insects,” says Louise McVay of Waleska, Georgia.

How do woodpeckers use their tongues to find food?

Pileated Woodpecker

Courtesy Jeanette Rucker

“The pileated woodpecker, because it is so huge, prehistoric-looking and loud,” says Lori June Houle-Pascador of Atlanta, Michigan.

Ivory-billed woodpecker vs pileated woodpecker: are they related?

Downy Woodpecker

Courtesy Laurie Stuchlik

“I love downy woodpeckers. They bob and sway as they attack suet, as if dancing to music only they can hear,” says Karen Crozier of Toccoa, Georgia.

After you’re done reading about these woodpeckers that have special meaning, boost your birding knowledge with mind-blowing woodpecker facts.

Northern Flicker

Courtesy Michael Schilmoeller

“Northern flicker because it is the best-dressed bird! Color all over, a polka-dot chest, yellow under the wings and tail—top it all off with a mustache, and that’s one fancy bird!” says Vita Higgins of Cleves, Ohio.

Find out why woodpeckers peck and how to stop it. Plus learn if woodpeckers kill or damage trees.

Hairy Woodpecker

Courtesy Judith Dedes

“My favorite is the hairy woodpecker. One visits my feeder every morning and squawks to let me know it’s there,” says Bonnie Webb of Holderness, New Hampshire.

What does a baby woodpecker look like?

Red-Headed Woodpecker

Courtesy Susan Wilson

“The red-headed woodpecker. I love its beautiful markings and brilliant red head. The ones that visit us take whole peanuts in the shell from the feeder. They eat them on the power pole in the yard,” says Wendy Griffin of Liberty, Illinois.

Next, meet the sapsucker birds: woodpeckers with a sweet tooth.