No, a red headed woodpecker and a pileated woodpecker are two different species of woodpecker found in North America. While they belong to the same woodpecker family, Picidae, they have distinct differences in their appearance, behavior, habitat preferences and distribution.
Red headed woodpeckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) get their name from the prominent red head and neck of the adult birds. Males and females have the same distinct red colored head. Their bodies are black and white, with a black back and tail, white belly and white wing patches. They are medium sized woodpeckers, around 9 inches in length with a wingspan of 16-18 inches.
Pileated woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) are the largest woodpecker found in North America. They are around 15-19 inches in length with a wingspan of 26-30 inches. They are mostly black in color with a red crest on the head. The crest on males extends from the bill to the neck while on females it is just on the top of the head. Like the red headed woodpecker they have white underparts but they lack the large white wing patches. Their face is black with prominent white lines down the neck.
Appearance
The most noticeable difference between these two woodpeckers is the coloration of their heads and bodies.
Red headed woodpeckers have a completely red head, neck and throat. Their back and tail feathers are black and their belly is white. They have large patches of white on their wings which are visible when perched and in flight.
Pileated woodpeckers have mostly black bodies with a red crest on the head. The red crest is larger on males, extending down the back of the neck. Females have just a red patch on top of the head. Their wings are black with no white patches. They have a black face with prominent white lines down the sides of the neck. Their belly is white but the white does not extend as far up the breast as in red headed woodpeckers.
Size Difference
There is a significant size difference between the two species.
Red headed woodpeckers are medium sized birds around 9 inches in length with a wingspan of 16-18 inches.
Pileated woodpeckers are much larger, around 15-19 inches in length with a wingspan of 26-30 inches. They are one of the largest woodpeckers found in North America, nearly double the size of a red headed woodpecker.
Bill Shape
The bill shape differs between the two species which reflects differences in their feeding behavior.
Red headed woodpeckers have a shorter, straighter bill suited for catching insects. Their smaller bill can hammer quickly to dig into trees but does not have the chisel-like shape needed for excavating deep cavities.
Pileated woodpeckers have a long, chisel-like bill adapted for excavating deep cavities in trees. Their larger bill allows them to hammer powerfully to dig out carpenter ant colonies and excavate nest cavities. The long bill helps reach carpenter ant colonies deep within trees.
| Appearance | Red Headed Woodpecker | Pileated Woodpecker |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Bright red head and neck | Black head with red crest, larger on males |
| Body | Black back and tail, white belly | Mostly black with white lines on neck, white belly |
| Wings | Black with large white patches visible in flight | All black |
| Size | 9 inches long, 16-18 inch wingspan | 15-19 inches long, 26-30 inch wingspan |
| Bill Shape | Shorter, straighter bill | Long, chisel-shaped bill |
Behavior and Feeding Habits
These two woodpecker species differ somewhat in their behavior and feeding habits.
Red headed woodpeckers are more generalists, feeding on a variety of insects as well as nuts and fruit. They will hawk insects in flight and often feed by gleaning fruit and seeds from trees and bushes. They do drill into wood for insects but do not excavate deep cavities.
Pileated woodpeckers are more specialized excavators, using their powerful chisel-like bill to dig deep into wood searching for carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae. They also eat other insects, fruit and nuts but their main food source is carpenter ants which they dig out of logs and dead trees. They use their long sticky tongue to extract ants and borers deep within tunnels in the wood.
Red headed woodpeckers are more social and less territorial than pileated woodpeckers. They sometimes feed and roost in groups and nest in loose colonies. More than one pair may nest in the same tree. In winter they form large flocks which roam the countryside feeding on nuts and seeds.
Pileated woodpeckers are highly territorial, maintaining and defending a large home territory year-round. They are mostly solitary aside from the mated pair and do not tolerate other pileated woodpeckers in their territory. Each pair excavates a new nest cavity every year, one cavity per breeding pair.
Foraging Behavior
| Behavior | Red Headed Woodpecker | Pileated Woodpecker |
|---|---|---|
| Foraging strategy | Generalist – eats insects, nuts, fruit. Hawks insects in flight. | Specialist – mainly eats carpenter ants by excavating deep into wood. |
| Cavity excavation | Drills shallower cavities mainly for roosting/nesting. | Powerfully excavates deep cavities in trees for roosting, nesting and finding food. |
| Territory | More social, loose nesting colonies. | Highly territorial, solitary mated pairs. |
| Winter habits | Forms large flocks which roam feeding on nuts and seeds. | Remains paired on defended winter territories. |
Vocalizations
The calls and drumming of these two woodpeckers are very distinct.
Red headed woodpeckers are quite vocal. They have a distinct, rolling “pik” call that rises and falls in pitch. Their rattle-like drumming is fast but does not carry far.
Pileated woodpeckers have a loud, ringing “cuk-cuk-cuk” call. The drumming of a pileated woodpecker is extremely loud and resonant, carrying long distances. Their drum is slower than the red headed woodpecker, powerful and deliberate sounding like a jackhammer.
Habitat
Though both woodpeckers inhabit areas with trees, their preferred habitat types differ.
Red headed woodpeckers thrive in open woodlands, particularly oak and beech forests interspersed with clearings, meadows and agricultural areas. They utilize scattered large trees for nesting and roosting but also rely on nearby open areas for feeding.
Pileated woodpeckers favor mature deciduous or mixed forests with a relatively closed canopy and an abundance of dead and dying trees they use for nesting and feeding. They require large tracts of unfragmented forest habitat due to their large home range requirements.
Red headed woodpeckers nest in a wider variety of sites including both live and dead trees. Pileated woodpeckers strongly favor dead or dying trees with heart rot that makes excavating easier. Territories must include sufficient large snags or diseased trees suitable for nest cavities.
Preferred Habitats
| Habitat Needs | Red Headed Woodpecker | Pileated Woodpecker |
|---|---|---|
| Forest type | Open oak or beech forests interspersed with meadows and clearings. | Mature deciduous or mixed forests with closed canopy. |
| Nest sites | Dead or live trees, also aspen, saguaro cacti. | Mainly dead or dying trees with heart rot. |
| Territory size | As small as 25 acres | Typically 500+ acre home range. |
| Fragmentation tolerance | Tolerant of fragmented, open woodlands. | Require large tracts of unbroken mature forest. |
Range and Distribution
The red headed woodpecker and pileated woodpecker have overlapping ranges across parts of North America but also differ in their distribution patterns.
Red headed woodpeckers are found throughout the central and eastern United States as far north as southern Canada. Their range extends west to the Rocky Mountains and they are also found in parts of the southwest and Pacific coast. They are absent from the northwest and northeastern coastal forests outside of the Great Lakes region.
Within their range they occur wherever large open deciduous or mixed woodlands are found near open areas like meadows or agriculture. They thrive in oak savannas and beech groves near fields or clearings.
Pileated woodpeckers are more widely distributed across North America, found coast to coast in forests south of the tree line. They occur across the northeast, southeast, Pacific northwest and coastal British Columbia where extensive forests remain. Their range overlaps with red headed woodpeckers in the eastern and central United States.
Unlike red headed woodpeckers which inhabit open forests, pileated woodpeckers require interior forest habitat and are sensitive to fragmentation. They reach their highest densities in large mature, unbroken tracts of deciduous or coniferous forests.
Range Map
| Species | Range | Suitable Habitat |
|---|---|---|
| Red headed woodpecker | Central and eastern North America from southeastern Canada to Texas, west to the Rockies. | Open deciduous woodlands near fields/meadows. Oak savannas, beech groves. |
| Pileated woodpecker | Wide distribution across North America between Rockies and Atlantic coast, south of Canada’s tree line. | Interior mature forests with minimal fragmentation. Deciduous or coniferous. |
Conservation Status
The red headed woodpecker and pileated woodpecker have differing population trends which has impacted their conservation status.
The red headed woodpecker was historically far more abundant when mature oak forests interspersed with open meadows dominated eastern North America. Due to extensive logging of oaks, fragmentation of forest habitat and maturing of eastern forests, the red headed woodpecker has suffered severe population declines over the past century. They lost over 60% of their global population between 1966 and 2014 and over 80% of their population in some eastern states. This has caused them to be listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Pileated woodpeckers have fared much better despite extensive logging across North America. Their wide habitat tolerance allows them to occupy both deciduous and coniferous mature forests, helping them maintain stable populations across most of their range. Most populations are considered secure and they are classified as a Species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. However, they face threats from ongoing habitat loss.
Both woodpeckers play important ecological roles in their respective forest habitats. The decline of the red headed woodpecker in particular may have cascading impacts on oak forests and other species dependent on them like migrating songbirds. Maintaining healthy populations of both these keystone woodpecker species through forest conservation will be vital for the many other organisms that depend on them.
Conservation Status
| Species | Population Trend | Conservation Status |
|---|---|---|
| Red headed woodpecker | Undergoing severe declines due to habitat loss, down 60-80% in past 50 years. | IUCN Near Threatened. Declining across nearly all of range. |
| Pileated woodpecker | Stable populations across most of range. | IUCN Least Concern. Still common and widespread. |
Conclusion
In summary, the red headed woodpecker and the pileated woodpecker exhibit clear differences in their appearance, habitat preferences, behavior, distribution patterns and conservation status despite belonging to the same avian family. The smaller red headed woodpecker inhabits open forests and woodlands, feeds more broadly on insects and plant foods and is severely declining across its range. The large pileated woodpecker favors interior mature forests, specializes in carpenter ants and wood-boring insects and maintains stable populations across North America. Maintaining habitat for both these keystone woodpecker species is important for the broader health of forest ecosystems.
