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Dryobates nuttallii

(Gambel, 1843)

Nuttall's Woodpecker

G4Apparently Secure (G4G5) Found in 159 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii). © Braxton Landsman; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Braxton Landsman; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii). © Aidan Brubaker; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Aidan Brubaker; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii). © Ruslan Balagansky; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Ruslan Balagansky; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii). © Quinn Diaz; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Quinn Diaz; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii). © Alex Chen; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Alex Chen; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii). © Liam Huber; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Liam Huber; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100008
Element CodeABNYF07020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPiciformes
FamilyPicidae
GenusDryobates
Synonyms
Picoides nuttallii(Gambel, 1843)
Other Common Names
Carpintero Californiano (ES) Nuttall's woodpecker (EN) Pic de Nuttall (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly (AOU 1983, 1998) placed in Picoides. Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (Weibel and Moore 2002a, 2002b;Winkler et al. 2014; Fuchs and Pons 2015; and Shakya et al. 2017) have shown that the genus Picoides is polyphyletic (AOU 2018). Constitutes a superspecies with D. scalaris (AOU 1998). Hybridizes sporadically with D. scalaris (AOU 1983).
Conservation Status
Review Date2015-02-13
Change Date2015-02-13
Range Extent Comments
RESIDENT: northern California south, west of deserts and Sierra Nevada, to northwestern Baja California; accidental or casual in southern Oregon (may breed), southeastern California (Salton Sea) and Arizona (Phoenix) (AOU 1983).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Oak forest and woodland, chaparral and riparian (especially willow-cottonwood) woodland (AOU 1983). In the Sierra Nevada foothills, extensively uses Quercus wislizenii and Pinus sabiniana outside the breeding season; extensively uses Quercus douglasii during the breeding season (Block 1991). Both sexes dig out a cavity in a tree, 1-18 m above ground.

Reproduction

Breeding begins in late March (Harrison 1978). Both sexes incubate 4-5, sometimes 3-6, eggs for about 14 days. Young are tended by both adults.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodWoodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparral
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
Roadless Areas (159)
California (157)
AreaForestAcres
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
Arroyo SecoAngeles National Forest4,703
Arroyo SecoAngeles National Forest4,703
BackboneShasta-Trinity National Forest11,466
Barker ValleyCleveland National Forest11,940
Bear MountainLos Padres National Forest913
Bear MountainLos Padres National Forest913
Big RocksLos Padres National Forest11,866
Black ButteLos Padres National Forest5,116
Black ButteLos Padres National Forest5,116
Black MountainLos Padres National Forest16,818
Black Mtn.Sequoia National Forest15,102
Black Mtn.Sequoia National Forest15,102
BriscoeMendocino National Forest7,212
Cactus Springs ASan Bernardino National Forest53
Cactus Springs BSan Bernardino National Forest3,106
Cactus Springs BSan Bernardino National Forest3,106
Cahuilla MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,952
CajonSan Bernardino National Forest7,548
CajonSan Bernardino National Forest7,548
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
CamuesaLos Padres National Forest8,209
CamuesaLos Padres National Forest8,209
Chalk PeakLos Padres National Forest7,472
ChannellSequoia National Forest45,429
ChannellSequoia National Forest45,429
ChicoSequoia National Forest39,836
ChicoSequoia National Forest39,836
Circle MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,375
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
ColdwaterCleveland National Forest8,402
Crystal CreekSan Bernardino National Forest6,783
Crystal CreekSan Bernardino National Forest6,783
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Cucamonga BSan Bernardino National Forest11,933
Cucamonga BSan Bernardino National Forest11,933
Cucamonga CSan Bernardino National Forest4,106
Cucamonga CSan Bernardino National Forest4,106
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
CuyamaLos Padres National Forest19,631
De La GuerraLos Padres National Forest5,418
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Deer MountainMendocino National Forest11,716
Dennison PeakSequoia National Forest6,293
Devil GulchSierra National Forest30,490
Devil GulchSierra National Forest30,490
DiableLos Padres National Forest19,597
Domeland Add.Sequoia National Forest3,046
Dry LakesLos Padres National Forest17,043
Dry LakesLos Padres National Forest17,043
Eagle PeakCleveland National Forest6,481
Ferguson RidgeSierra National Forest6,104
Fish CanyonAngeles National Forest29,886
Fish CanyonAngeles National Forest29,886
Fox MountainLos Padres National Forest52,072
Garcia MountainLos Padres National Forest7,850
Granite PeakSan Bernardino National Forest450
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
GrindstoneMendocino National Forest26,031
Heartbreak RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest4,455
Hixon FlatSan Bernardino National Forest8,095
Hixon FlatSan Bernardino National Forest8,095
Horse Creek RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest8,969
Horse Creek RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest8,969
Horseshoe SpringsLos Padres National Forest14,089
IshiLassen National Forest21,805
JuncalLos Padres National Forest12,289
Kings RiverSierra National Forest52,999
La BreaLos Padres National Forest14,031
La PanzaLos Padres National Forest4,954
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
Little PineLos Padres National Forest1,315
Los Machos HillsLos Padres National Forest11,112
Lpoor CanyonLos Padres National Forest13,762
Machesna MountainLos Padres National Forest12,271
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Malduce BuckhornLos Padres National Forest14,177
Malduce BuckhornLos Padres National Forest14,177
ManzanaLos Padres National Forest2,101
MatilijaLos Padres National Forest5,218
Mill CreekLassen National Forest7,587
Mill CreekSequoia National Forest27,643
Mill CreekSequoia National Forest27,643
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
Mirada PimeLos Padres National Forest13,302
MonoLos Padres National Forest28,141
MosesSequoia National Forest22,077
No NameCleveland National Forest4,897
No NameCleveland National Forest4,897
NordhoffLos Padres National Forest12,031
NordhoffLos Padres National Forest12,031
Oat Mtn.Sequoia National Forest12,223
Pine CreekCleveland National Forest503
Pine CreekCleveland National Forest503
Pleasant ViewAngeles National Forest26,395
Pleasant ViewAngeles National Forest26,395
Pyramid Peak BSan Bernardino National Forest7,194
QuatalLos Padres National Forest7,253
Raywood Flat ASan Bernardino National Forest41
Raywood Flat BSan Bernardino National Forest11,373
Raywood Flat BSan Bernardino National Forest11,373
Red MountainAngeles National Forest8,034
Red MountainAngeles National Forest8,034
Reister CanyonMendocino National Forest5,897
Rouse HillSan Bernardino National Forest13,745
Rouse HillSan Bernardino National Forest13,745
Salt CreekAngeles National Forest11,022
Salt CreekAngeles National Forest11,022
San DimasAngeles National Forest7,160
San Gabriel AddAngeles National Forest2,527
San Gabriel AddAngeles National Forest2,527
San Mateo CanyonCleveland National Forest65
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
Santa CruzLos Padres National Forest21,182
Santa CruzLos Padres National Forest21,182
Sawmill - BadlandsLos Padres National Forest51,362
Sawmill - BadlandsLos Padres National Forest51,362
Sespe - FrazierLos Padres National Forest106,910
Sespe - FrazierAngeles National Forest4,254
Sespe - FrazierAngeles National Forest4,254
Sheep MountainAngeles National Forest21,098
Sheep MountainAngeles National Forest21,098
Sill HillCleveland National Forest5,294
Sill HillCleveland National Forest5,294
Slate Mtn.Sequoia National Forest12,299
Snow MountainMendocino National Forest14,457
Stanley MountainLos Padres National Forest14,674
Strawberry PeakAngeles National Forest7,245
Strawberry PeakAngeles National Forest7,245
SugarloafSan Bernardino National Forest8,206
Sycamore SpringsSierra National Forest10,015
Tepusquet PeakLos Padres National Forest5,821
TequepisLos Padres National Forest9,080
TequepisLos Padres National Forest9,080
Thomes CreekMendocino National Forest16,616
Timbered CraterLassen National Forest4,096
TrabucoCleveland National Forest23,341
TrabucoCleveland National Forest23,341
TuleAngeles National Forest9,861
TuleAngeles National Forest9,861
West ForkAngeles National Forest1,169
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
White LedgeLos Padres National Forest18,632
White LedgeLos Padres National Forest18,632
WildhorseCleveland National Forest1,483
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
References (30)
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