ORDER PICIFORMES
FAMILY PICIDAE
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
a. A single, loud kleeeoo, very sharp, descending in pitch.
A loud klee-yer (P).
A shrill descending kee-oo (R).
A sharp peah, given by adults or young (F).
Example 1, example 2, example 3.
b. A squeaky flick-a flick-a flick-a (P).
A conflict call wik-a wik-a.
c. A gutteral flutter call, sounding like wings beating (carries poorly); given from perch or from flight.
d. A loud wick wick wick wick wick wick, etc. (P).
A loud repeated flick or flicker; series repeated 2-7/min (R).
Repetitious, notes 6 per second. Similar to Pileated's call, but sharper, higher-pitched, and somewhat tinnier sound; usually does not slow or soften at end. Territorial call, given by both sexes.
Examples from northwest Oregon: example 1, example 2.
e. Drumming: Drums rather weakly in regular bursts (F).
Constant, rhythmic. Territorial.
All calls except "b" and "c" carry very far, perhaps equally as far as ravens': 300-400+ m.
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
a. An irregular kik--kikkik---kik-kik, etc., resembles flicker's but louder (P).
Variable, long wuk-wuk-wuk series, slow, irregular (F).
A loud, rising and falling wuck-a-wuck-a-wuck-a (N).
May also be described as kuks, often given in flight.
A fast kek kek kek kek kek, etc.; similar to flicker's, but slightly lower, louder, and faster (8-10/sec); sound is a bit "richer." Sometimes drops off in pitch or speed at end. Territorial in nature, but given by both sexes. Carries very far, 600+ m.
A ringing, unhurried call, often rises or falls slightly in pitch (P).
b. Waak,waaa,waan and other calls, not nasal.
c. Drumming: loud, slow, softer at end (R).Example of foraging taps (northwest Oregon).
Often with echo quality (S. Harris, pers. comm.). Territorial.
The loud singly-spaced bill strokes are distinctive (L).
Pileated calls always given as a series, never single.
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
a. A nasal, ratchety wanka wanka wanka, etc., a "laughing" call, may also include other nasal-quality chatter. Carries quite far, 500+ m.
Whack-up,whack-up,whack-up, or ja-cob,ja-cob (P).
Ja-cob or wake-up (U).
Ya-cup,ya-cup,ya-cup (F).
Example 1. Example 2.
b. A shorter rennt, rennt, increasing in pitch.
c. Drumming: constant, rhythmic. Territorial.
Lewis' Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis)
Usually silent (P,L).
a. Occasionally a harsh churr (L) or chee-ur (P).Soft short notes (R).
Main call a harsh churr, in series of 3-8 notes (F).
b. A high-pitched chee-up given in breeding season (L).
c. Drumming: drums weakly in breeding season (F).Weak excavator.
Red-Breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)
a. A nasal mewing note, or squeal, cheerrr, slurring downward (P).
Soft, slurred wheee-ur or mew (U).
Chur or quarr call given in series; also weep-weep notes, chee-aa call, and others (F).Calls are soft, weak, carry poorly. Sound quality not buzzy, but also not a clear tone, lacking harmonics.
b. Drumming: not a constant rhythym, but spurts of 3-4 taps with pauses between; starts with a long series, ends with a sequence of short bursts.
Soft tap in a broken series: prrrrrp,prrp,prp,prp (U).
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)
a. A loud, sharp peek! (P,R).
Not nasal.
b. A kingfisher-like rattle (L), run together more than that of Downy's (P,R).
Like a pick given in very rapid succession; does not characteristically descend in pitch at end.
Half-second rattle call, keck-ik-ik-ik heard less frequently, 17-20 notes per second (faster than Downy's) (F).
A slurred whinny (N).
c. Kweek, wick-a, tewk and other calls (F).
d. Drumming: Drums frequently but variably; indistinguishable from Downy's except at times by loudness (F), Hairy's being the louder.
A very rapid burst of constantly-rhythmic taps.
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
a. A flat pick, not as sharp as Hairy's note (P).
Pik, much softer than Hairy's (R).
Uttered less often than Hairy's louder, sharper peek (F).
A flat tchink or ping (L).
b. A rattle, pick-ik-ik-ik-ik-ik, slightly slower than Hairy's, but notes quicken and descend in pitch toward end. Soft and carries poorly for a woodpecker.
A high descending rattle or whinny series: ee ee ee ee ee ee (U).
c. Various other notes; young give chirping calls (F).
d. Drumming: Drums frequently in 1-1 1/2 second bursts, like Hairy but softer.
A rapid burst of evenly-rhythmic taps.
White-Headed Woodpecker (Picoides albolarvatus)
a. A sharp chick, sometimes rapidly repeated, chick--ik-ik-ik (P).
Often given as 3-syllable series: chik-ik-ik.
Main call usually a 2-noted (sometimes 1 or 3) peek-it, with quality of Hairy's call note and sharper and louder than the double note of Nuttall's (F).
A sharp chick-chick (N).
A sharp harsh witt or witt-witt (L).
A sharp pee-dink or a more prolonged pee-dee-dee-dink (U).
b. Also a rattle similar to Downy Woodpecker's (P).
Rattle di-di-di-di, similar to Hairy's (F).
Often a series of witts run together in a kingfisher-like rattle (L).
c. Drumming: short, even series (U).
Drums frequently with typical drum-roll (F).