---
title: "Black-backed Woodpecker"
description: "Picoides arcticus — Birds. The black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus), also known as the Arctic three-toed woodpecker, is a medium-sized woodpecker (23 cm (9.1 in) long) inhabiting the forests of North America."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/black-backed-woodpecker
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Black-backed Woodpecker

> Picoides arcticus — Birds. The black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus), also known as the Arctic three-toed woodpecker, is a medium-sized woodpecker (23 cm (9.1 in) long) inhabiting the forests of North America.

- Scientific name: *Picoides arcticus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest)
- iNaturalist observations: 3819
- Wikidata: [Q1259965](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1259965)
- iNaturalist taxon: [17694](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/17694)

## Names

- en: Black-backed Woodpecker
- de: Schwarzrückenspecht
- es: Pico Ártico
- fr: Pic à dos noir
- nl: Zwartrugspecht
- pl: Dzięcioł północny

## Countries with the most observations

CA (1871), US (1770)

## Summary

The black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus), also known as the Arctic three-toed woodpecker, is a medium-sized woodpecker (23 cm (9.1 in) long) inhabiting the forests of North America.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-backed_woodpecker

## Photo

![Black-backed Woodpecker](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/black-backed-woodpecker/medium.jpg)

Photo: Dario Taraborelli · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/52402154

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/black-backed-woodpecker?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).