Ladder-backed woodpeckers a common bird in most of Texas

Michael Price
Special to the San Angelo Standard-Times
Ladder-backed woodpeckers can be found in most of Texas year round.

Living in the harsh arid lands of western Texas can be quite challenging. All sorts of creatures depend on and compete for the minuscule amounts of shade and water that exist here. But regardless how uninhabitable an area appears, there are always animals that have adapted to such harsh environments, and one such avian species is the ladder-backed woodpecker.

Woodpeckers of various species are familiar to most people, even those who do not spend much time outdoors. Perhaps this knowledge is due to the famous cartoon character Woody Woodpecker, who incidentally still annoys me with his laugh as much now as he did when I was a kid.

The ladder-backed woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) is a common bird throughout much of the lower western half of United States. It can be observed almost throughout the entire state of Texas, with the exception being the densely forested far eastern portions of the state. It is not a migratory species, meaning that it occurs in its Texas range year-round.

This attractive and somewhat colorful species of bird is small, with a body length approximately 7 1/4 inches, while the wingspan can approach 12 inches. The back, shoulders and wings are black, and are adorned with white horizontal bars, creating the appearance of a ladder, hence the common name. The legs and feet are also black, as is the straight, but sturdy bill. The belly and other underparts are tan-gray and are typically mottled with small black spots. Like most avian species, the male is the most colorful of the two sexes. Male ladder-backed woodpeckers have red crown on top of their head, as well as a black line that extends from the eye to the neck that is quite noticeable on the white face. Females, although looking very similar, lack the red crown on the head.

Many times, this species of woodpecker is heard before it is actually seen, either by its clear, high pitched, one-syllable call or the tap-tap-tap sound of its hunting propensities. These hunting propensities include the animal clinging to a tree vertically with its specially adapted feet while banging its head into the trunk of the tree repeatedly as it attempts to stir up the insects living inside of the bark. Once the bark has been penetrated, these insects are carefully removed from the tree by the long, barbed tongue that this woodpecker possesses. Insects such as ants are favored items of its diet, although fruit is also consumed readily.

Many are heard before they are actually seen when they make their high-pitched “pik” sound while flying from hunting ground to hunting ground. Their flight pattern consists of an up-and-down flight with rapidly beating wings alternating with short times of gliding.

These birds typically prefer to live a solitary life during much of the year, although they will pair up during the breeding season, with the male and female remaining monogamous during such time. It is unclear which sex, or even if both sexes build the nest in the cavity of dead trees or larger cactus species such as agaves. The eggs are white and number between two and seven per brood. Incubation time is only 12-13 days days, and the young are unable to take care of themselves at hatching. Both sexes will feed them during the next three weeks as the young learn to fly. Typically, only one brood per year is produced.

Ladder-backed woodpeckers are a common to abundant bird throughout their range in Texas and are by far the most common woodpecker of the western half of the state. Attract them to your yard with birdbaths as well as providing feeders filled with cactus fruits and even peanut butter.

Michael Price is owner of Wild About Texas, an educational company that specializes in venomous animal safety training, environmental consultations and ecotourism. Contact him at wildabouttexas@gmail.com.