Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)

	General Description: Ladder-backed Woodpeckers (Picoides scalaris) are small, sexually dimorphic woodpeckers of the desert. They have black-and-white bars on the back and black-and-white stripes on the face. Males have a red cap. This is the only woodpecker with a "ladder-back" pattern around Las Vegas.
	Favored Habitat: Desert scrub with tall Mojave Yucca or Joshua Trees, also canyons with Oak, Cottonwood, and other trees. Where to Find: Hard to see anywhere because they try to hide, listen for their call (keeek) and pecking on trees. Check the Velvet Ash trees in the Calico Basin picnic area where they breed. Comments:
	Male Ladder-backed Woodpecker standing atop a dead Mojave Yucca.
	Male Ladder-backed Woodpecker on a Velvet Ash Tree. Note the barring (ladder) on the back.
	Male Ladder-backed Woodpecker on a Velvet Ash Tree.
Typical position -- hiding behind something and looking out from around the edge.	Ladder-backed Woodpecker on a Mojave Yucca.

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
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© Jim Boone; Last updated 080205