Pileated Woodpecker (male) - approx. 46 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Dryocopus
Species: Pileatus
Ontario's largest woodpecker - the male has a red
moustache and forehead - the female has a black
moustache and forehead
moustache and forehead - the female has a black
moustache and forehead
More Pileated Woodpeckers
Updated February 29 2016
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Species: Pubescens
Male adult has a red patch on the back of the head -
juvenile's red patch is further forward on the crown - body
size and bill are smaller than the Hairy Woodpecker,
otherwise they are similar in appearance - see the
comparison photos below
juvenile's red patch is further forward on the crown - body
size and bill are smaller than the Hairy Woodpecker,
otherwise they are similar in appearance - see the
comparison photos below
More Downy Woodpeckers
Updated May 12 2015
Downy Woodpecker (female) - approx. 17 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Species: Pubescens
More Downy Woodpeckers
Updated May 12 2015
Hairy Woodpecker (male) - approx. 24 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Picoides (also Dryobates)
Species: Villosus
Male adult has a red patch on the back of the head -
juveniles's red patch is further forward on the crown - body
size and bill are larger than the Downy Woodpecker,
otherwise they are similar in appearance - see the
comparison photos below
juveniles's red patch is further forward on the crown - body
size and bill are larger than the Downy Woodpecker,
otherwise they are similar in appearance - see the
comparison photos below
More Hairy Woodpeckers
Updated February 16 2018
Red-bellied Woodpecker (female) - approx. 23 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Melanerpes
Species: Carolinus
More Red-bellied Woodpeckers
Updated April 20 2019
Woodpeckers
Page Last Updated: April 20 2019
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Female adult lacks red patch on the back of the head - body
size and bill are smaller than the Hairy Woodpecker,
otherwise they are similar in appearance - see the
comparison photos below
size and bill are smaller than the Hairy Woodpecker,
otherwise they are similar in appearance - see the
comparison photos below
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (female) - approx. 20 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Sphyrapicus
Species: Varius
More Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
Updated October 14 2016
Pileated Woodpecker (female) - approx. 46 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Dryocopus
Species: Pileatus
Ontario's largest woodpecker - the male has a red
moustache and forehead - the female has a black
moustache and forehead
moustache and forehead - the female has a black
moustache and forehead
More Pileated Woodpeckers
Updated February 29 2016
7 species
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Sphyrapicus
Species: Varius
More Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
Updated October 14 2016
Hairy Woodpecker (female) - approx. 24 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Picoides (also Dryobates)
Species: Villosus
Female adult lacks red patch on the back of the head - body
size and bill are larger than the Downy Woodpecker,
otherwise they are similar in appearance - see the
comparison photos below
size and bill are larger than the Downy Woodpecker,
otherwise they are similar in appearance - see the
comparison photos below
More Hairy Woodpeckers
Updated February 16 2018
Downy (left) and Hairy Woodpecker, body and bill
comparison - although the Downy is a male and the
Hairy is a female, the sexes of both species are
approximately the same size (males however have
relatively longer bills and immatures have shorter bills)
comparison - although the Downy is a male and the
Hairy is a female, the sexes of both species are
approximately the same size (males however have
relatively longer bills and immatures have shorter bills)
Northern Flicker (male) - approx. 30 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Colaptes
Species: Auratus
The female lacks the black bar under the eye - unlike
other Woodpeckers, the Flicker mostly forages on the
ground (primarily for ants)
other Woodpeckers, the Flicker mostly forages on the
ground (primarily for ants)
More Northern Flickers
Updated April 15 2019
Northern Flicker (female) - approx. 30 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Colaptes
Species: Auratus
The male has a black bar under the eye - unlike other
Woodpeckers, the Flicker mostly forages on the
ground (primarily for ants)
Woodpeckers, the Flicker mostly forages on the
ground (primarily for ants)
More Northern Flickers
Updated April 15 2019
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (juvenile) - approx. 20 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Sphyrapicus
Species: Varius
More Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
Updated October 14 2016
Male has red throat
Female lacks red throat
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Both sexes have a red nape but only the male (see below)
has a red crown - not to be confused with Red-headed
Woodpecker (see below)
has a red crown - not to be confused with Red-headed
Woodpecker (see below)
Audio - updated August 30 2012
Audio - updated June 13 2012
Audio - updated September 23 2010
Audio - updated April 14 2013
Pileated Woodpecker (male) - approx. 46 cm - Lower Don Valley (Crother's Woods) - May 2009
Downy Woodpecker (female) - approx. 17 cm - Humber Valley (Lambton Woods) - November 2009
Hairy Woodpecker (male) - approx. 24 cm - Humber Valley (Lambton Woods) - March 2011
Red-bellied Woodpecker (female) - approx. 23 cm - Humber Valley (Lambton Woods) - May 2012
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (female) - approx. 20 cm - Leslie Spit - May 2013
Pileated Woodpecker (female) - approx. 46 cm - West Don Valley (E.T. Seton Park) - December 2008
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (male) - approx. 20 cm - Beaver Creek (Richmond Hill) - April 2009
Downy (left) and Hairy Woodpecker comparison - Humber Valley (Lambton Woods) - November 2009
Northern Flicker (male) - approx. 30 cm - West Don Valley (E.T. Seton Park) - July 2007
Northern Flicker (female) - approx. 30 cm - High Park - May 2012
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (juvenile) - approx. 20 cm - Beaver Creek (Richmond Hill) - October 2008
Downy Woodpecker (male) - approx. 17 cm - Lower Don Valley (Crother's Woods) - January 2012
Hairy Woodpecker (female) - approx. 24 cm - West Don Valley (E.T. Seton Park) - August 2013
Red-bellied Woodpecker (male) - approx. 23 cm
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Melanerpes
Species: Carolinus
More Red-bellied Woodpeckers
Updated April 20 2019
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Both sexes have a red nape but the female (see above)
lacks a red crown - not to be confused with Red-headed
Woodpecker (see below)
lacks a red crown - not to be confused with Red-headed
Woodpecker (see below)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (male) - approx. 23 cm - High Park - June 2015
Order: Piciformes (Woodpeckers & Relatives)
Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Genus: Melanerpes
Species: Erythrocephalus
More Red-headed Woodpeckers
Updated October 26 2018
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class: Aves (Birds)
Red-headed Woodpecker (sexes similar) - approx. 23 cm - Leslie Spit - May 2018
Genus: Picoides (also Dryobates)
Genus: Picoides (also Dryobates)
Audio - updated April 20 2019