Jefferson County, Colorado, United States – A routine animal control response took an unusual turn when a woodpecker attached itself to an officer during a call initially reported as a raccoon sighting.

The video, filmed by X user Jeffco Sheriff, shows a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control officer working in a suburban grassy yard with houses, bare trees, and a nearby road in the background.

Wearing a black uniform and a tactical vest marked “Sheriff’s Office Animal Control,” the officer bends down in the yard when a woodpecker suddenly lands on her shoulder and back. The bird stays firmly attached as she stands, laughs, and tries to gently guide it away with her hands.

The caption reads, “Wanted: One Raccoon. Found: One Clingy Woodpecker. It’s National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, and our JCSO Animal Control Officers continue to prove that no two calls are ever the same. This one started as a reported raccoon but turned out to be a woodpecker who then hitched a ride and declared the responding officer its personal tree. After plenty of laughs, the woodpecker eventually moved along and found a more suitable tree of its own.”

The footage shows the bird gripping her arm and vest as she walks toward a nearby tree and stump, with a light-blue pet carrier visible on the grass. She continues speaking to the bird while attempting to coax it off.

The woodpecker eventually relocates to a branch after several lighthearted attempts to move it along.

The incident occurred on April 14, 2026, during National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, highlighting the unpredictable nature of animal control work.

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