Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Dryobates scalaris
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusDryobates (Dryobates Woodpeckers)
- SpeciesDryobates scalaris (Ladder-backed Woodpecker)
About the Ladder-backed Woodpecker
The ladder-backed woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) is a North American woodpecker. The ladder-backed woodpecker is a small woodpecker about 16.5 to 19 cm (6½ to 7½ inches) in length. It is primarily colored black and white, with a barred pattern on its back and wings resembling the rungs of a ladder. Its rump is speckled with black, as are its cream-colored underparts on the breast and flanks. Southern populations have duskier buff breasts and distinctly smaller bills. Adult males have a red crown patch that is smaller in immatures and lacking in adult females. The ladder-backed woodpecker is very similar in appearance to Nuttall's woodpecker, but has much less black on its head and upper back, and the range of the two species only intersects a minimal amount in southern California and northern Baja California. Hybrids are known.
Ladder-backed woodpeckers nest in cavities excavated from tree trunks, or in more arid environments a large cactus will do. The female lays between 2 and 7 eggs, which are plain white. The eggs are incubated by both sexes, but the nesting period and other details are unknown.
Like most other woodpeckers the ladder-backed woodpecker bores... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Gila Woodpecker
Melanerpes uropygialis
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Gilded Flicker
Colaptes chrysoides
Red-naped Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus nuchalis
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
Lewis's Woodpecker
Melanerpes lewis
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Williamson's Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus thyroideus
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus ruber
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 12 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 14 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 16 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 17 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 18 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 20 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Ladder-backed Woodpecker in Saguaro National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Ladder-backed Woodpecker sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 24,288 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Ladder-backed Woodpecker in Saguaro National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Ladder-backed Woodpecker in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.