Woodpeckers

Black-backed Woodpecker

Schwarzrückenspecht

Picoides arcticus

Woodpeckers6 photosFirst seen: 18 August 2026

The Black-backed Woodpecker is closely tied to conifer forests with many dead or dying trees. Fires and bark-beetle outbreaks create rich feeding habitat because larvae develop beneath loosened bark. The bird often flakes bark away rather than drilling deeply and may stay in one productive patch for long periods. Unlike most woodpeckers it has three toes on each foot.

ID tip: A solid black back, white underparts with dark barred flanks and only three toes distinguish this species. Adult males have a yellow crown patch; the similar American Three-toed Woodpecker has a white patch down the back.

First seen: 18 August 2026 · Denali National Park · 6 photos in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Denali National Park18 August 2026

Family: Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Length: 23 cm
Wingspan: 40–42 cm
Regional status: Year-round resident (Alaska, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Recently burned, beetle-affected and mature boreal conifer forests with abundant dead wood
Diet: Wood-boring beetle larvae and other insects beneath bark

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Black-backed Woodpecker

Places in my records

Selected photographs