Gila Woodpecker
Learn to identify the Gila Woodpecker by ear. Master the "churr-churr-churr!" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Gila Woodpecker sounds like
Rough churrs and sharper squeaks share the clip with a faint roll tapped on wood, so the track includes voice and bill-work.
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
A year-round resident of the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona, southeastern California, southwestern New Mexico, and much of western Mexico. Most birds stay put close to nesting and feeding areas.
Found in hot desert scrub, washes, thorny woodlands, and neighborhoods with big cacti or scattered trees. It is especially tied to saguaros and other tall desert plants that offer nesting spots.
Active in every season, but spring is the easiest time to notice them calling and excavating nest holes in saguaros. In summer they gather around ripe cactus fruit, and in winter they often visit feeders and desert yards.
How to recognize it by sight
A sandy-faced woodpecker of the Sonoran Desert, often clinging to a saguaro like it owns the place. Its black-and-white barred back flashes in the sun, and males add a neat red cap on top.
Similar species
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Smaller and slimmer overall.
Gilded Flicker
Much larger, with a longer bill and more flicker-like shape.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpeckers also have a boldly barred back, but are larger and show a paler face plus much more red across the crown and nape.