BirdAnalyst
Species · BCR 18 · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Ladder-backed Woodpecker In Shortgrass Prairie

All regionsShortgrass PrairieForest birds

Ladder-backed Woodpecker in Shortgrass Prairie has fallen sharply: down 70% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

-70%Since 1969
50Routes In Region
56Years

Notable Signals

long arc declinecomputed index

Ladder-backed Woodpecker has fallen sharply in Shortgrass Prairie: down 70% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Ladder-backed Woodpecker in Shortgrass Prairie is projected to rise about 83% by 2029 — from 0.12 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.22 (95% range 0.00–0.56). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±47.3%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+83%Change by 2029
0.22Projected 2029 index
0.00–0.5695% range
±47.3%Backtest error
19672029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected index95% low95% high
20250.220.000.56
20260.220.000.56
20270.220.000.56
20280.220.000.56
20290.220.000.56

Routes In Shortgrass Prairie

Routes recording Ladder-backed Woodpecker in Shortgrass Prairie.
VariaderoNEW-MEXICO62022
PecosTEXAS42017
Cooley LakeNEW-MEXICO32022
LoganNEW-MEXICO32024
Clear LakeOKLAHOMA32015
GilpinCOLORADO22023
TrincheraCOLORADO22021
FloydNEW-MEXICO22023
PepNEW-MEXICO22015
HobbsNEW-MEXICO22024
RankinTEXAS22023
LamesaTEXAS22014
Frankel CityTEXAS22022
KermitTEXAS21999
StilesTEXAS22023
DoughertyTEXAS22016
DalhartTEXAS22017
Mica ButteCOLORADO11976
VillegreenCOLORADO12021
Cone MtnCOLORADO12016
NinaviewCOLORADO12024
LakinKANSAS11992
TucumcariNEW-MEXICO11975
CaprockNEW-MEXICO12015
MaljamarNEW-MEXICO11977

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.