Dryobates nuttallii
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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.
Nuttall's woodpecker has striped black and white patterned wings and tail feathers with white. Its undercarriage is a primarily white coat with a few spotted black regions. It has a black forehead with white streaks on the sides and an unbarred black region at the top of the back. Adult males have a distinguishable red crown which females do not. However, this physical feature is present in the juvenile of both sexes. Juvenile birds look nearly identical to adults, excluding that juveniles typically have some white color in the form of streaks on their heads. They have zygodactyl feet, where the two toes facing forward and two facing backward along with stiff tail feathers which allows them to maintain a secure, vertical position on trees; typical of woodpeckers. The mass of the Nuttall's woodpecker ranges from 30 to 45 g (1.1 to 1.6 oz), with a body length of 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in). It is traditionally classified a small... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Nuttall's Woodpecker sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 137 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 95th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Nuttall's Woodpecker in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to October, the lowest months. That is one of Yosemite National Park's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain against 25 mm in September.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Nuttall's Woodpecker sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Nuttall's Woodpecker sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Nuttall's Woodpecker is recorded against all the birds logged in Yosemite National Park (137 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
