Nuttall's Woodpecker
Location: 260 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306
California's Oak Drummer: Meet the Zebra-Backed Local
The Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii) is a California native found almost exclusively in the state. Closely tied to oak woodlands, it is one of the Bay Area's most characteristic woodpeckers.
Size: 6.5–7.5 inches long.
Look: Black-and-white zebra-striped back, white face, pale underparts with black spots, and a sturdy chisel-like bill. Males have a small red patch on the back of the head.
Bay Area Schedule: Year-round resident.
Fascinating Facts
Oak Specialists: Nuttall's Woodpeckers spend much of their time searching oak bark for beetle larvae, ants, spiders, and other insects. Although insects make up most of their diet, they also eat berries, acorns, seeds, and other plant foods, especially outside the breeding season.
Nature's Drummers: Instead of singing long songs, they communicate by rapidly drumming on tree trunks and branches to defend territories and attract mates.
Built for Hammering: Their reinforced skull, powerful neck muscles, and shock-absorbing tongue apparatus help protect the brain from the impact of thousands of pecks every day.
How to Welcome Them: Trees, Suet & Natural Wood
Provide suet feeders near mature trees.
Preserve mature trees and safe dead branches whenever possible.
Avoid pesticides to protect the insects they depend on.
Plant an Oak Haven
Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia): The most important habitat tree, providing food, nesting sites, and abundant insects.
Valley Oak (Quercus lobata): Provides large branches, natural cavities, and excellent foraging habitat.
Look-Alikes: How to Tell Them Apart
Nuttall's Woodpecker: Zebra-striped back with no large white stripe down the center.
Downy Woodpecker: Broad white stripe down the center of the back; less closely associated with oak woodlands.