The echoing sound of a woodpecker knocking on a tree is intriguing, especially this time of year when the sound seems to be amplified by leafless trees. Identifying a woodpecker by their drumming is possible but difficult. However, identification by their markings is quite easy.

Woodpeckers are usually recognized by their stout, sharply pointed beak that pierces wood and a specially developed long tongue that can be extended a considerable distance to dig out ants and larvae from wood or bark. Other distinguishing qualities include short legs with two sharp-clawed, backward-pointed toes and stiff tail feathers, which serve as a supportive prop. These traits enable them to cling easily to the trunks and branches of trees, wood siding or utility poles while pecking.

Woodpeckers are 6 to 15 inches in length, and usually have brightly contrasting coloration. Most males have some red on the head, and many species have black and white marks. As I mentioned before, identification of species by their markings is quite easy but they do have characteristic calls, and use a rhythmic pecking sequence to make their presence known.

This pecking sequence is referred to as “drumming,” and is generally done on dead tree trunks or limbs but buildings and utility poles may also be used.

There are 21 species of woodpeckers in the United States but the three most widely distributed species are the hairy woodpecker, the downy woodpecker, and the yellow-bellied sapsucker. The hairy woodpecker is the size of a robin or 9 inches in length.

It is black and white with an unspotted white back and a rather long bill. Male hairy woodpeckers have a red patch on the back of the head while females have a black patch. The hairy woodpecker is a forest dweller and is much shyer than its relative, the downy woodpecker.

The downy woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker at 6 inches in length. It is black and white with a white back but its bill is short and stubby.

Like the hairy woodpecker, male downy woodpeckers have a red patch on the back of their neck while females have a black patch. The downy is the tamest and most abundant eastern woodpecker. They live in a variety of habitats and are commonly seen at suet feeders and may be mixed in with flocks of chickadees and nuthatches.

The yellow-bellied sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker at 8 inches in length. This bird has black and white markings with a white stripe along its side and a black and white barring pattern on its back.

Males have a red crown and throat whereas females only have a red crown but both sexes have a dull yellow color on their chest. Sapsuckers get their name from their habit of boring holes into the inner bark of trees. This releases tree sap which ends up oozing out of holes and down the tree trunk. The bird then wipes up the sap with its brush like tongue.

For more information on woodpeckers, call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County at 255-1183 or log onto the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at www.birds.cornell.edu.

- Sources include: Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management and the

Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Renee Jensen is a community educator of environmental issues at Cornell Cooperative Extension Cayuga County