Birds of Foothill College

Nuttall's woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii) is a small barred black and white woodpecker with no barring on the upper back. Males have a black forehead with red on the rear crown and upper nape. Females have a black forehead, corwn and nape with some white streaking. Nuttall's Woodpeckers are more are less endemic to California although some are found in Baja California.

Sounds can be heard here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nuttalls_Woodpecker/sounds

Similar Species:

Downy Woodpecker has pure white in the middle of the back, pure white underparts, no white streaking on crown, and the black eye and malar stripes are unjoined.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker is paler, more white on back, has a white face with black stripes, (not a black face with white stripes like Nuttall's), barring rather than spots on outer tail feathers, and more extensive red on the head of the male, extending up to the forehead. less ↑

The Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) is a medium-sized woodpecker, are solid black above, a streaked breast and have a red cap, white face, and black patch around the bill. Females have less red on the crown than males. These are the most common woodpeckers seen on campus and are very loud and gregarious with a laugh-like call.

You can hear examples of their calls here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Acorn_Woodpecker/sounds less ↑

The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. In California we have the "Red-shafted" Flicker (the "yellow-shafted" form occurs east of the Rockies). These woodpeckers have a brown crown and gray face, the male has a red stripe, In flight, you will see red flashes under the wings and a white rump.

You can hear examples of their calls here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_flicker/sounds less ↑