---
title: "Gila Woodpecker"
description: "Melanerpes uropygialis — Uccelli. The Gila woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the desert regions of the southwestern United States and western Mexico."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/it/animal/gila-woodpecker
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Gila Woodpecker

> Melanerpes uropygialis — Uccelli. The Gila woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the desert regions of the southwestern United States and western Mexico.

- Scientific name: *Melanerpes uropygialis*
- Category: `birds` (Uccelli)
- Habitats: `desert` (Deserto)
- iNaturalist observations: 18479
- Wikidata: [Q557493](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557493)
- iNaturalist taxon: [18161](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/18161)

## Names

- en: Gila Woodpecker
- de: Gilaspecht
- es: Carpintero del desierto
- fr: Pic des saguaros
- nl: Gilaspecht
- pl: Dzięciur kaktusowy

## Countries with the most observations

US (9675), MX (7951)

## Summary

The Gila woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the desert regions of the southwestern United States and western Mexico. In the U.S., they range through southeastern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico.

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

## Photo

![Gila Woodpecker](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/gila-woodpecker/medium.jpg)

Photo: Jason Leduc · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/279308927

## Machine access

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