Maine has a great range of woodpeckers. And In this article, I’ll list and explain all the Woodpeckers in Maine. I’ll cover all the detail (Diet, habitat, identification, etc).
Note: If you’re short on time I have compiled a table of all the woodpeckers with identification and their Diet. You can also read about these woodpeckers in detail below.
| Woodpeckers in Maine | Length | Weight | Identification(Color) | Diet/Favorite Food |
| Hairy Woodpecker | 7.1-10.2 in (18-26 cm) | 1.4-3.4 oz (40-95 g) | These are black and white birds. ; The head of this bird has two white stripes. The black wings are checkered with white. | Mostly insects, berries, seeds, and nuts. |
| Black-backed Woodpecker | 9.1 in (23 cm) | 2.1-3.1 oz (61-88 g) | This woodpecker has an Inky black upper body and white lower body with fine black barring on the flanks. | Mostly insects |
| Northern Flicker | 30-35 cm | 120 gm(4.23oz) | Large woodpeckers, with a size in between crows and Robins, with brown body color and black spots, bars, and crescents all over their bodies along with a red nape. They also have hints of yellow on their bodies as well. | Black oil sunflower seeds are their favorite. |
| Downy Woodpecker | 14-17 cm | 21-28 gm (0.74-0.98oz) | They are b&w in color with patches of red here and there. They are found in woodlots, in backyards, and along streams. | Insects, beetle larvae, acorns, berries and grains, black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, millets. |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 23-27 cm | 72 gm (2.5oz) | A pale red belly with a red cap b&w stripped back. | Insects, spiders, nuts, seeds, acorns, pine cones, grapes, oranges, hackberries, mangoes, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 15.8-19.3 in (40-49 cm) | 8.8-12.3 oz (250-350 g) | This woodpecker has a black body with white stripes on the face and neck and a flaming-red crest. | Mostly insects and flies. |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | 7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm) | 1.5-1.9 oz (43-55 g) | This woodpecker is black and white with a boldly patterned face. Both males and females have red foreheads, and males also have red throats. | Mostly feed on tree sap, Arthropods, fruits, and nuts |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | 7.5-9.1 in (19-23 cm) | 2.0-3.2 oz (56-91 g) | These birds have bright-red heads with white underparts and black backs. | Mostly nuts, seeds, fruits, and berries |
8 Types Of Woodpeckers In Maine: In Detail
Hairy Woodpecker
The backs of these medium-sized woodpeckers exhibit a black and white pattern, as well as a large white patch. On the backs of the males’ heads, a red flame emerges.
It resembles the Downy woodpecker, although it is larger. They’re difficult to recognize since they appear in the same spots all the time. They are little, powerful bird that may be seen at backyard feeders and has a whinnying or explosive peak sound.
While both male and female woodpeckers tap into trees in search of ants and other tasty insects, only male hairy woodpeckers build nests.
The female will assist in putting the finishing touches on the nest and organizing it as she prepares to lay her eggs at the end of the season.
Beetle larvae, ants, and bark beetles, as well as bees, caterpillars, spiders, moth pupae, and millipedes, are all eaten by Hairy Woodpeckers. Suet feeders with a cage to keep larger birds from stealing all of the turns.
Additionally, black oil sunflower seeds attract more Hairy Woodpeckers to your yard, and mixing them with suet in a great suet and hopper feeder gives you two feeders in one.
Black-backed Woodpecker
They are little and difficult to spot since they are only robin-sized and have a black back to help them blend in. Their sides are black and white striped, with a primarily white underbelly. The males have yellow on their heads.
It mostly feeds on wood-boring beetle larvae, particularly in freshly burned forests. Because this is performed by flaking the bark off dead trees, charred forests are your best bet for spotting the Black-backed Woodpecker. They only produce a single sharp pik call.
This is one of the rare woodpeckers that only has three toes, as opposed to the majority of species, which have four. They resemble the American Three-toed Woodpecker except for the lack of a white patch on their backs.
The Black-backed Woodpecker can be found in previously burnt woodlands. Black-backed Woodpeckers are rarely seen at feeders since they mostly consume beetle larvae in burned woodlands.
Northern Flicker
When flying, Northern Flickers have a yellow flash in their wings and tails, a white patch on their rump, and a red nape of the neck in males. They’re enormous brown woodpeckers with black patches on their backs.
Male Northern Flickers have a mustache that goes from their beak to their neck and is either black or red depending on whether they are from the east or west. The female Northern Flicker lacks a mustache.’
Northern Flickers have a piercing screech and a loud ringing cry. They feed mostly on ants and beetles, but they also eat fruits and seeds that they dig up on the ground with their bent snout.
Northern Flickers prefer birdbaths over bird feeders, so investing in a beautiful pedestal birdbath or a heated birdbath is the ideal answer for the winter.
Using suet cages, huge hoppers, or platform feeders, feed black oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, suet, broken maize, peanuts, and millet.
Downy Woodpecker
Despite its resemblance to the Hairy Woodpecker, it is one-third the size and has a smaller beak than other Woodpeckers.
Downy Woodpeckers are more likely to be seen at a feeder since they are more common. The Downy Woodpecker’s black and white patterning on the back is primarily black with a white patch. A red mark may also be seen on the backs of the males’ heads.
A red patch on the back of the head distinguishes male Downy Woodpeckers. They’re also a little smaller than Hairy Woodpeckers. Female Downy Woodpeckers do not have a red patch on their heads.
Small birds like nuthatches and chickadees are regularly observed with Downy Woodpeckers. They can be seen in open woodlands, parks, orchards, and backyards, although they are most frequently observed at bird feeders. They’re also common among tall weeds.
Downy Woodpeckers can be seen at bird feeders in the backyard. They are quite active, emitting a high-pitched pik sound as well as a descending wailing cry. Insects, particularly larvae, as well as nuts, berries, acorns, and grains, are consumed by downy woodpeckers.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Male red-bellied woodpeckers have bright red heads and bellies. In female Red-bellied Woodpeckers, just the back of the neck and not the top of the head are red.
Inexperienced bird watchers may mistake them for red-headed since their bellies are seldom crimson. The rest of their body is a stunning crosshatch pattern of black and white stripes. Their name refers to a flushed, slightly colored patch on their abdomen.
At first look, their red heads are visible but avoid the urge to mistake them with Red-headed Woodpeckers.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers have a scarlet abdomen, but it’s a light red that might go unnoticed when perched against a tree or feeder. To identify them, look for black and white barred wings and a red mohawk along their neck.
They prefer deciduous woodlands or suburban settings and are often drawn to bird feeders, especially those containing peanuts and sunflower seeds.
Pileated Woodpecker
The flaming-red triangular crest of the Pileated Woodpecker distinguishes it. It’s a huge woodpecker, roughly the size of a crow. The white underside of the wings may be seen when it is flying.
It’s largely black, with a white stripe running down the middle. Males have a more prominent red stripe on their cheeks.
A red spot on the cheek of male Pileated Woodpeckers is common. The red mark on the cheek of female Pileated Woodpeckers is absent.
The crest is the most noticeable feature. The male and female crests are both fiery red and triangle-shaped, but the males are longer and extend all the way to the beak, whilst the females do not reach beyond the forecrown.
Pileated Woodpeckers consume carpenter ants, termites, beetle larvae, and other insects, as well as fruit and nuts such as blackberries, sumac berries, dogwood, and elderberry. They create both a loud whiny scream and a forceful pounding sound.
Pileated Woodpeckers eat suet from bird feeders in the backyard. In addition to black oil sunflower seeds, they consume hulled sunflower seeds, suet, peanuts, and mealworms. Consider creating a nest box if you wish to attract a breeding couple.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
It is around the size of a robin and is rather little. Males are mostly black, with red brows and scarlet throats. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers dig holes in trees to obtain sap with their brush-tipped tongues.
The male Yellow-bellied sapsucker has a red neck, while the female has a white neck. Yellow-bellied male Sapsuckers have bright red throats. The throats of female yellow-bellied sapsuckers are white.
In juvenile paper birch, yellow birch, red or sugar maple, and hickory trees, they develop crisp horizontal rows of holes.
To let the sap flow, the holes must be kept clean. Young deciduous forests on birch and maple trees are prevalent, with sap wells created in tidy rows to feed.
Red-headed Woodpecker
The flaming redheads and unique black and white markings of these woodpeckers make them easy to identify. The Red-headed Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird with a powerful spike beak.
They have short tails, white undersides, black backs, and massive white bands on their wings. They have strong territorial defense abilities, including the capacity to steal or destroy other birds’ or ducks’ eggs.
Red-headed Woodpeckers, like other woodpeckers, collect insects both in flight and in crevices.
Both male and female Red-headed woodpeckers have similar appearances. Juveniles, on the other hand, have dark hair with no red highlights.
If you see a drab woodpecker with a Red-headed Woodpecker, it’s most likely a mother and her young ones.
One-third of their food consists of insects such as beetles, midges, honey bees, and grasshoppers. Plant components such as seeds, nuts, and berries make up the remaining two-thirds.
If you want to attract Red-headed woodpeckers to your yard then feed them seeds apples, berries, and grapes.
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