# White-headed Woodpecker (*Leuconotopicus albolarvatus*) The White-headed Woodpecker is a striking bird with a white head and black body. It loves to peck on trees to find yummy insects and make its home in the forest. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Forests ![White-headed Woodpecker](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Picoides_albolarvatus_FWS.jpg&width=800) Photo: David Menke, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Picoides_albolarvatus_FWS.jpg) ## Appearance The White-headed Woodpecker has a striking appearance with an entirely black body contrasting sharply with its pure white head. Males also boast a distinctive red patch on the back of their neck. White wing patches are visible during flight. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Piciformes - **Family:** Picidae - **Genus:** Leuconotopicus ## Interesting facts - These birds prefer to live in tall, fire-scorched pine forests in the mountains. - They often get sticky pine pitch on their white faces from digging into cones for food. - This woodpecker loves pine seeds so much, it hardly pecks for insects like other woodpeckers! - Young White-headed Woodpeckers sport a cool red cap on their heads that disappears with age. ## Special abilities - **Pine Seed Seeker:** White-headed Woodpecker has a strong, wedge-tipped beak to extract nutritious pine seeds directly from tight cones. - **Tree Climber:** White-headed Woodpecker has stiff tail feathers that act like a prop, helping them brace securely against tree trunks while climbing. - **Sticky Tongue:** White-headed Woodpecker can extend a long, barbed tongue covered in sticky saliva to snatch hidden insects from bark crevices. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 21-25 cm - **Wingspan:** 43-48 cm - **Weight:** 0.05-0.07 kg - **Lifespan:** 4-9 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-7 - **Incubation:** 11-14 days ## Diet & Feeding They munch on tasty pine seeds and dig out hidden insects from tree bark and wood. - **Primary Foods:** Pine seeds, Bark beetles, Ant pupae, Conifer scale insects, Sap - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** Ponderosa Pine (*Pinus ponderosa*) — for seeds, nesting cavities, and insect prey found in its bark. - **Hunts:** Mountain Pine Beetle (*Dendroctonus ponderosae*) — as a primary food source, extracting them from beneath pine bark. - **Eaten by:** [Northern Goshawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-goshawk) (*Accipiter gentilis*) — as a potential avian predator in its forested habitat. - **Shelter:** [Northern Flying Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-flying-squirrel) (*Glaucomys sabrinus*) — by using abandoned woodpecker cavities for nesting and roosting. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Tool Use](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tool-use): This trait describes organisms that manipulate external objects to achieve a specific goal. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify White-headed Woodpecker? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is White-headed Woodpecker? 21-25 cm ### What is White-headed Woodpecker's wingspan? 43-48 cm ### How much does White-headed Woodpecker weigh? 0.05-0.07 kg ### How long does White-headed Woodpecker live? 4-9 years ### How fast can White-headed Woodpecker move? 45 km/h ### What does White-headed Woodpecker eat? They munch on tasty pine seeds and dig out hidden insects from tree bark and wood. ### Where is White-headed Woodpecker usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-tahoe-basin-management-unit) — Nevada, US · Forest - [Sierra Safari Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sierra-safari-zoo) — Nevada, US · Zoo - [Atwell Mill Grove](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/atwell-mill-grove) — California, US · Forest - [Manzanita Lake Naturalist's Services Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/manzanita-lake-naturalists-services-historic-district) — California, US · Historic District - [Shady Rest Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shady-rest-park) — California, US · Park [View all places to see White-headed Woodpecker](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/white-headed-woodpecker) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [White-headed Woodpecker: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-headed-woodpecker)