Bird · GBIF taxon 8959883
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Dryobates scalarisAlso known as Cactus Woodpecker
Ladder-backed woodpeckers are hardy desert specialists that thrive among thorny scrub, mesquite groves, and towering saguaros across the arid American Southwest and Mexico. They forage energetically by tapping on desert brush, yucca stalks, and agave flower stems in search of wood-boring larvae. Mated pairs excavate fresh nest cavities each spring in dead tree limbs or woody cacti, which later become vital nesting shelters for other desert cavity dwellers.
DesertCavity NesterInsectivorous
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Wood-boring beetle larvae
- Carpenter ants
- Cactus fruit
Predators
- Cooper's Hawk
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Coachwhip
ThreatsClearing of desert brush, loss of large nesting cacti, and removal of dead wood
HabitatsArid desert scrub, thorn forest, mesquite woodlands, and pinyon-juniper canyons
Life span4–7 years
Classification
- OrderPiciformes
- FamilyPicidae
- GenusDryobates
- SpeciesDryobates scalaris
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Listen for Tapping: Detect their presence in dense desert brush by listening for soft, rapid pecking on yucca stalks or dead branches.
- Observe from Distance: Avoid lingering near nesting cavities excavated in desert cacti during the spring breeding season.
- Attract to Feeders: Offer suet or black oil sunflower seeds in arid backyards with native brush plantings.
Competitor (c) MarvalPhotography19, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by MarvalPhotography19 · cc-by
Host Plant WClarke / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Mike Baird, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative "Male Downy Woodpecker" by ShenandoahNPS is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. · cc0
Keep collecting in Fauna
Found in Collections
Ecosystem chain Pro
Secret Garden
Ladder-backed Woodpecker is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
Unlock to track progress
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.