Black-Backed Woodpecker

• Size: 9.1" long // 15.8-16.5" wingspan
• Diet: insects, larvae of wood-boring beetles
• Seasonal Habits: Short Distance Migration
• Temperament: Aggressive during breeding season

Nearly synonymous with burned forests over much of its range, the Black-backed Woodpecker specializes on eating big, juicy wood-boring beetle larvae. It is an inky black bird with a sharp white stripe on its black face, fine black barring on the flanks, and, in males, a yellow crown patch. These enterprising birds locate burned forests just weeks to months after a forest fire and then live off the bounty of insects over the next 5 to 8 years. In areas with fewer fires, they may also use bark beetle outbreaks or bogs.