Year round Tree Clinging Birds

The winter sun casts swirly shadows on the snow, Rockford, IL; 2/3/11.

Three tree-clinging birds that spend all year in Northern Illinois are the Downey Woodpecker (6 3/4" long), the Red-bellied Woodpecker, and the Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker.

A Downey Woodpecker enjoying its winter meal of suet, Rockford, IL; 2/3/11 

The Downey Woodpecker (Above) is widespread throughout the U.S.  from coast to coast up into Alaska and south into Florida. There are pockets in the Southwest (Nevada, Southern Cal, the southern half of Ariz and New Mex, as well as western Texas) that Downey Woodpeckers are not residents.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker, Rockford, IL; 1/31/10

The Red-bellied Woodpecker (9 1/4" long) (Above) can be found year round the eastern half of the U.S. extending north into Wiscosin, Minnesota, and South Dakota down to the Gulf Coast.

A Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker, Rock Cut State Park; 3/27/11.

The Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker is another year round resident of Northern Illinois.  It can be found throughout the U.S. and in the summers north into Canada. Although it clings to sides of trees like woodpeckers, it actually spends a lot of time foraging on the ground looking for ants and insects.  Flickers at 12 1/2 " long are larger than the two woodpeckers in this post.

The same Northern Flicker; 3/27/11.