The Arizona Woodpecker is a distinctive bird of southeastern Arizona’s “sky island” mountain ranges. Unlike most North American woodpeckers, which are predominantly black and white, the Arizona Woodpecker has a warm brown back, wings, and head, with white underparts boldly marked by dark spotting. Males can be distinguished by a small red patch on the nape, absent in females.
In Arizona, this species is most often found in pine–oak woodlands, riparian canyons, and mixed conifer forests of the Chiricahua, Huachuca, and Santa Rita Mountains, where it clings to tree trunks and branches while foraging for insects beneath the bark. It is a year-round resident, though its range barely extends into the United States, with the majority of its distribution in the mountains of Mexico.
Arizona Woodpeckers nest in cavities they excavate in dead or decaying trees, where both sexes help incubate the eggs and raise the young. Considered uncommon and localized in Arizona makes them a sought-after species for birders visiting the region.
