Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)

Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Picoides scalaris

The *Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)* is a common species of the southwestern United States. The species may occur in deserts or in many mountainous areas as well. The bird ranges south through many habitats in Mexico into Nicaragua. The first four images here were shot in spring, 2006, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and a 1.4X extender. The bird with the red on the head is a male, while the image shown here at the bottom shows a female. Scroll down for more photos.
The next two shots were taken in Kenedy Co., Texas, in April, 2000. This male Ladder-backed was at a nest hole he was working on. The shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1N and EF 600mm F/4 L lens on Fuji Provia film.




The five shots at right were taken in southern Tamaulipas, Mexico, in May, 2007, and show a female Ladder-backed Woodpecker delivering food to a nest cavity. These shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 500mm F/4 L IS lens and 2X extender.




Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris male Pedernales Falls State Park, Blanco Co., Texas 7 March 2014