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Bird call
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) call
A sharp pik and a descending, whinnying rattle.
Listen to the Ladder-backed Woodpecker call
A field recording of the Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) by Noland Martin, shared on iNaturalist. Listen for the Ladder-backed Woodpecker in desert, scrub and woodland habitats.
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Sounds similar
Birds that sound similar to the Ladder-backed Woodpecker
These birds belong to the woodpecker family, like the Ladder-backed Woodpecker, so their calls can sound alike.
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Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
A loud descending kee-yer and a long, even wick-wick-wick series.
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Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
A laughing waka-waka-waka, several birds answering each other.
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Nuttall's Woodpecker Dryobates nuttallii
A rattling descending series and a sharp pitik; a California oak specialist.
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Hairy Woodpecker Leuconotopicus villosus
A sharp, loud peek! and a fast, even rattle on one pitch.
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Gila Woodpecker Melanerpes uropygialis
A rolling, nasal churr and a sharp, repeated pit-pit-pit.
Questions
Questions about the Ladder-backed Woodpecker
What does the Ladder-backed Woodpecker sound like?
A sharp pik and a descending, whinnying rattle. Listen to the recording above.
Which birds sound like the Ladder-backed Woodpecker?
Northern Flicker, Acorn Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker and Gila Woodpecker sound similar.
Where can I hear the Ladder-backed Woodpecker?
SongLark teaches it in its Birds of California course.
How can I learn the Ladder-backed Woodpecker call?
In SongLark's Birds of California course, it comes in Level 10: The Deserts. SongLark teaches it by ear with real field recordings.
Courses
Learn this call in
SongLark teaches the Ladder-backed Woodpecker in its Birds of California course. Each course plays real field recordings and brings every bird back for review just before you would forget it.
- In Birds of California, the Ladder-backed Woodpecker comes in Level 10: The Deserts. That Level is about creosote flats, desert washes and the Colorado River.
Learn it with these birds in Level 10 of Birds of California
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Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
A harsh, low chuh-chuh-chuh-chuh, like a car that will not start.
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Verdin Auriparus flaviceps
Sharp chip notes and a loud, clear tsee-tsee-tsee whistle from desert brush.
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Phainopepla Phainopepla nitens
A soft, liquid, rising wurp from the top of a mistletoe-laden shrub.
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Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
Two clear notes then a tinkling trill, from creosote and rocky desert slopes.
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Costa's Hummingbird Calypte costae
A thin, very high, rising-and-falling whistle, zing-zwiiing.
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Lucy's Warbler Leiothlypis luciae
A bright, quick trill that changes pitch partway through, from mesquite along desert rivers.
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Common Raven Corvus corax
A deep, hoarse, croaking gronk, much lower than a crow, plus knocks and bell-like notes.
Get SongLark
Learn Ladder-backed Woodpecker in SongLark
Install SongLark, sign in, and choose a course that teaches the Ladder-backed Woodpecker.
- Your first course is free. When you first sign in, you choose one course to keep.
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