Pictures of Woodpeckers at Rockefeller State Park Preserve

Reading my “About” story, you will find that a pileated woodpecker I saw several years ago in Rockefeller State Park Preserve is why I started bird photography. This large, colorful woodpecker was looking for insects on a tree, staying for a while and letting me take some good pictures with my iPhone. Things grew from there to the site you are viewing today.

This gallery features most of the park’s woodpecker species, including the pileated woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, and hairy woodpecker. I enjoy photographing these birds, especially when they are busy searching for food on a tree branch or tree trunk. They do some tricky moves to get to their food and can sometimes really dig into a tree. If they are engrossed in their efforts, you’ll have time to watch them and get some great photos.

Woodpeckers live in Rockefeller State Park Preserve year-round. During the winter, they are active and more visible without the leaves on trees. Listen closely while walking through the park; you can hear them tapping on trees. They also have chirps and loud calls that alert you they are in the area, sometimes right over your head!

I’ve photographed woodpeckers on many trails in the park and around Swan Lake. These include the Overlook Trail near the Ash Tree Loop, the Farm Meadow Trail, Canter Alley, and the Douglas Hill Loop. I have difficulty thinking of trails on which I’ve not photographed a woodpecker!

You can learn more about the trails mentioned above here.

Look at the various woodpecker species in this gallery and be on the lookout for them the next time you’re at the park!

Click on a picture below to open the full-size gallery. Controls at the bottom center of the photos let you navigate through the gallery, start a slide show, or close the gallery. Enjoy the pictures!

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A Pileated Woodpecker with a red crest perches on a fallen log in a forested area, looking upward.

A Pileated Woodpecker with a striking red crest perched on a moss-covered log in a natural woodland setting.

A woodpecker with black and white plumage clings to the side of a tree trunk, pecking at the bark on a clear day.

A woodpecker with a red head and black-and-white patterned wings perches on a bare tree branch against a light sky.

Woodpecker perched on a tree branch with a light gray and white patterned body, red patch on its head, and a light background.

Red-capped woodpecker perched on a tree, facing upward. The bird has a distinctive black and white striped back and is surrounded by bare branches against a blurred background.

A black and white woodpecker with a red spot on its head perches on a tree branch against a blurred background.

A woodpecker with a red head and speckled wings perches on the side of a tree trunk on a clear day.

A woodpecker with a red head and black-and-white patterned wings perches on a tree trunk with a small hole. There is a patch of snow near the hole.

A woodpecker with a red crest perches on a tree trunk, surrounded by bare branches under an overcast sky.

A woodpecker perched on a tree branch, pecking at small clusters of berries against a clear blue sky.

Woodpecker perched on a tree trunk against a clear blue sky.

A red-bellied woodpecker clings to the side of a tree trunk, with a blurred background of trees and foliage.

A red-bellied woodpecker with a red head clings to the bark of a tree.

A downy woodpecker with black and white plumage and a red patch on its head perches on a thin branch.

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