The Most Common Types Of North American Woodpeckers. Like the downy, male hairy woodpeckers have a red patch on the nape of their necks. It’s attractive black-and-white plumage and plucky disposition make it a welcome visitor to bird feeders and backyards. The most common species of woodpecker in the United States is the Downey Woodpecker; other common species include the Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, and the Northern Flicker. This fellow might look familiar if you ever watched Woody Woodpecker cartoons and is an absolutely stunning, large bird. Woodpeckers are beneficial because of the large numbers of insect pests they eat. This brown woodpecker flashes bright colors under the wings and tail when it flies. Red-bellied Woodpecker What do Woodpeckers Eat. There are 22 species of woodpeckers in North America. Distinct Markings As the largest woodpecker (up to 49cm long! Description Ah, the king of North American woodpeckers (assuming you believe the ivory-billed woodpecker is extinct). Red-Headed. With similar black wings, white spots, and a white stripe down the back, one can see why these two birds are hard to differentiate. Northern Flicker. The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America at only five to seven inches in length. They range in size and color. You can tell the males from the females by the bright red patches on the backs of their heads. Hairy. Downy. Pileated. Description. Two very different-looking forms -- Yellow-shafted Flicker in the east and north, and Red-shafted Flicker in the west -- were once considered separate species. Depending on type, they eat many wood-boring insects, spiders, caterpillars, berries, and seeds. ), this guy is hard to miss. Its ringing calls and short bursts of drumming can be heard in spring almost throughout North America. Widely distributed in North America, the hairy woodpecker holds rank as the almost-identical twin of the downy woodpecker.