15 New Hampshire Woodpeckers To Look For
New Hampshire mornings often begin with tapping that rolls through the trees. Woodpeckers bring rhythm, color, and character to the state’s forests.
Each species carries its own story, from bold red crests to patterned wings and ringing calls. Some stay year-round, others arrive with changing seasons.
Here are fifteen woodpeckers worth watching on your next walk outdoors.
1. Downy Woodpecker
This tiny bird thrives in backyards and forest edges alike. Its short bill and black-and-white pattern make it easy to spot. Males flash a red patch on the back of the head, adding color to the mix. Their gentle tapping often carries through neighborhoods in winter.
Acrobatic feeding habits bring them to suet feeders and tree trunks alike. Despite their size, they bring steady energy to every habitat.
2. Hairy Woodpecker
Larger than the downy, this bird has a longer bill and a louder call. Black wings with white spots give it distinction. Their sharp drumming echoes deep in woodlands, announcing their presence across ridges. Males also show a red patch, similar to their smaller cousins.
Seen often near streams and mixed woods, they move with quiet authority. Each sighting feels like meeting an older sibling in the same family.
3. Pileated Woodpecker
The pileated is a forest icon, nearly crow-sized with a flaming red crest. Black wings and white underwings cut dramatic shapes in flight. Their calls sound like laughter bouncing between pines. Powerful beaks carve large rectangular holes into rotting wood.
Finding one feels like stepping back into wilder times. Their presence reminds hikers of the deep, untamed heart of New Hampshire.
4. Northern Flicker (Yellow-Shafted)
This flicker carries golden underwings that flash when it flies. Brown plumage patterned with black spots adds texture. A black crescent marks its chest, while the call rings with sharp notes. Unlike most woodpeckers, it often feeds on the ground.
Ants and beetles fill much of its diet, found among leaf litter. Watching one forage adds variety to any birding trip.
5. Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Named for its pale wash of yellow on the belly, this bird favors orchards and forest edges. Red crowns and black stripes frame the head. Their rhythmic drilling creates neat rows of sap wells in bark. Other animals often feed from the same holes.
Migrants in New Hampshire, they appear in spring and fall. The sound of steady tapping is the surest clue of their presence.
6. Red-bellied Woodpecker
Despite the name, the red is faint on the belly. Instead, a bold red crown and nape stand out. Their barred black-and-white back shimmers almost like zebra stripes. Rolling calls carry through hardwood forests.
They expand northward, now increasingly seen in New Hampshire. Spotting one feels like catching a species in motion, pushing new boundaries.
7. Black-backed Woodpecker
These birds prefer burned forests and spruce bogs. Their backs are glossy black, blending into charred trunks. White underparts and a yellow crown spot complete the look. They specialize in prying beetle larvae from bark.
A true northern resident, they connect the White Mountains with boreal regions farther north. Each encounter feels rare and rewarding.
8. American Three-Toed Woodpecker
Similar to the black-backed, this bird shows mottled black-and-white backs. Males carry a small yellow cap. Their three toes give them a unique climbing stance. They often peel bark to reach hidden insects.
Quiet and deliberate, they can be easy to miss. Observers often pause to listen for their slow, methodical tapping.
9. Red-Headed Woodpecker
Brilliant scarlet heads make this bird unmistakable. The contrast with snow-white bodies and black wings is striking. Their calls are sharp, adding drama to their arrival. Unlike others, they catch insects in flight as well as drum.
Historically more common, they are now less frequent in New Hampshire. Spotting one feels like finding treasure in the trees.
10. Lewis’s Woodpecker
Named for explorer Meriwether Lewis, this species shows iridescent green wings. A pink belly and red face add vibrancy. They fly more like crows, gliding between perches. Insects, nuts, and berries make up their varied diet.
Though rare in New Hampshire, occasional sightings excite birders. Their unusual colors bring western flair to eastern forests.
11. Red-Naped Sapsucker
This sapsucker has a bright red nape, throat, and crown. Black-and-white stripes cross the face. Like its yellow-bellied cousin, it drills sap wells into bark. These feeding stations attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and small mammals.
It prefers mixed forests, moving along trunks in search of food. Spotting one here feels like catching migration in action.
12. Williamson’s Sapsucker
Males wear bold black plumage with yellow bellies and red throats. Females look dramatically different, with barred brown backs. Their drilling patterns leave distinctive marks on conifers. Sap, insects, and fruit form the bulk of their diet.
This species is more western, rarely seen in New England. Any New Hampshire appearance becomes a highlight for birdwatchers.
13. Acorn Woodpecker
Black heads with white patches surround bright red caps. These birds live communally, storing acorns in tree granaries. Their clownish faces hide serious organization. They fill holes with hundreds of acorns for future use.
Mostly western, sightings in New Hampshire are exceptional. If found, they transform an ordinary day into an unforgettable field note.
14. Northern Flicker (Red-Shafted)
This form of the northern flicker flashes red instead of yellow under its wings. Its plumage otherwise mirrors its cousin. Ground-feeding habits make it easy to observe on lawns or meadows. Sharp calls echo from fence posts.
Rare in New Hampshire, these flickers often spark debate among birders. They bring western genetics into eastern landscapes.
15. Red-Breasted Sapsucker
Crimson throats and heads give them dramatic color. Black wings with white patches round out the palette. They drill sap wells in neat lines. Their tapping resonates through conifer stands.
More common along the Pacific coast, they occasionally stray eastward. In New Hampshire, a sighting feels like an extraordinary gift from migration.
