# Nuttall's Woodpecker

*Dryobates nuttallii*

While they spend most of their time in oaks, they rarely nest in them, preferring to excavate holes in softer wood like willow or cottonwood.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Piciformes › Picidae › Dryobates
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Oak woodlands and riparian corridors, specifically those dominated by California live oak and blue oak.
- **Diet:** Primarily insectivorous, targeting wood-boring beetle larvae, ants, and caterpillars; also consumes sap, acorns, and berries.
- **Range:** California, Baja California
- **Size:** 16-18 cm long with a 33 cm wingspan
- **Lifespan:** 6-10 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation due to urban sprawl and the removal of dead wood (snags) necessary for nesting.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and shy. Maintain a respectful distance of at least 15 feet to observe foraging without causing the bird to flush. They pose no threat to humans.

## About

Nuttall's woodpecker ( Dryobates nuttallii ) is a species of woodpecker named after naturalist Thomas Nuttall in 1843. They are found in oak woodlands of California and are similar to the ladder-backed woodpecker in both genetics and appearance.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/beb4d99a-fba7-4644-afd8-875671cedd92
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/792987
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuttall's_woodpecker
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/1273/medium.jpg (Mike Baird, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.