The largest woodpecker species in the red-headed woodpecker group is the Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). This species can reach lengths of 9-10 inches (23-25 cm) with wingspans of 15-18 inches (38-46 cm). The Red-headed Woodpecker is found throughout eastern North America and is easily identified by its striking red head and upper neck.
Physical Description
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker with the following physical features:
- Adults have a bright red head, neck, throat and upper breast
- The back and wings are black with large white patches
- The belly is white
- The tail is black with white outer tail feathers
- The bill is long, straight and dark gray
- Males and females look alike
- Juveniles have a gray head that slowly turns red as they mature
The Red-headed Woodpecker is one of the most striking looking woodpeckers with its bold, contrasting colors. The completely red head and upper neck give it a capped appearance. The black and white wings and back provide a distinctive pattern in flight.
Size and Weight
The Red-headed Woodpecker is on the larger end of the spectrum for woodpeckers found in North America:
- Length: 9-10 inches (23-25 cm)
- Wingspan: 15-18 inches (38-46 cm)
- Weight: 2.0-3.2 oz (56-91 g)
The Red-headed Woodpecker weighs only slightly less than a Northern Flicker, making it one of the heaviest woodpeckers in its range. However it is matched or exceeded in size by several other woodpeckers species found across North America including the Pileated Woodpecker and Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
Identification
The Red-headed Woodpecker is unlikely to be confused with any other woodpecker species due to its unique red head and neck. The only woodpecker within its range that also sports significant red coloring is the Red-bellied Woodpecker. However the Red-bellied has a much more restricted red “cap” only on the head and less than half of the neck. Other clues to identifying a Red-headed Woodpecker include:
- Black and white barred wings
- White belly
- Long black tail with white outer feathers
- Stark white patches on the back when perched
- Distinctive rolling “kleeer” call
Juvenile Red-headed Woodpeckers at first appear more similar to other woodpecker species with their mostly gray heads. But their partial red coloring on the head, combined with the other field marks allows identification.
Range and Habitat
The Red-headed Woodpecker occupies a broad range across the eastern half of North America:
- Found year round from the Rockies eastward
- Ranges north into southern Canada
- Ranges as far south as Florida and Texas
- Most abundant in the Upper Midwest and Northeast regions
This species declined significantly since the early 1900s, especially in the northeastern part of its range. But populations appear to have stabilized more recently.
The Red-headed Woodpecker inhabits open countryside with scattered trees, such as:
- Savannas
- Forest edges
- River bottoms
- Orchards
- Parks
- Pastures with oaks and telephone poles
It particularly favors standing dead trees, known as “snags”, which provide good nesting and feeding sites. Red-headed Woodpeckers excavate their own nest cavities each year, usually in dead limbs of live trees.
Behavior and Diet
The Red-headed Woodpecker exhibits some unique behaviors among North American woodpecker species. For example:
- It is one of the most vocal woodpeckers, constantly uttering its rolling, rattling call
- It is highly aerial compared to other woodpeckers, sometimes catching insects in flight like a flycatcher
- It is highly omnivorous, with plant material comprising over half its diet
- It is bold and aggressive, displaying little fear of humans
- It is highly nomadic, wandering far and wide outside the breeding season
The Red-headed Woodpecker has a diverse diet including:
- Insects such as beetles, ants, bees, wasps, crickets
- Spider and insect eggs
- Nuts and acorns
- Fruit and berries
- Corn, wheat and other grains
- Nestlings and eggs of other birds
Acorns and beechnuts often make up over 50% of its food. The Red-headed Woodpecker is a food generalist, consuming whatever is seasonally abundant, including at bird feeders.
Breeding and Nesting
The breeding season of the Red-headed Woodpecker runs from May to July across most of its range. They show fairly strong breeding site fidelity, often re-using nesting cavities in subsequent years.
Interesting aspects of their breeding behavior include:
- Monogamous pairs working together to build the nest cavity
- Cavities are excavated in dead branches or dead trees
- The entrance hole is only about 2 inches wide
- Cavities are typically 20-60 feet high off the ground
- Clutch sizes range from 4 to 7 eggs
- Incubation lasts 12-14 days
- Nestlings fledge about 27 days after hatching
- Parents feed the young for 3-4 weeks after fledging
The Red-headed Woodpecker is unusual in how commonly polygynandry (multiple males mating with multiple females) occurs. Up to 25% or more of broods can contain young that were fathered by different males.
Conservation Status
The Red-headed Woodpecker has experienced significant population declines since the 1960s-70s. Possible reasons include:
- Loss of oak savannas and native grasslands
- Suppression of natural wildfires
- Loss of dead and dying trees that provide nest sites
- Competition for nest sites with introduced European Starlings
- Extensive removal of snags in managed forests
Its populations stabilized somewhat by the late 1990s but remains below historical levels. The Red-headed Woodpecker has been assigned a conservation status of “Near Threatened” by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Ongoing conservation recommendations include:
- Protection and restoration of open savannas and grasslands
- Allowing natural wildfires to create dead wood
- Retention of dead limbs and snags in managed forests
- Control of European Starlings around nest cavities
Interesting Facts
- The Red-headed Woodpecker is the only woodpecker in North America to regularly store food in tree crevices.
- It is an important species for controlling harmful tree beetle outbreaks.
- Besides excavating nest cavities, they also readily use old flicker cavities.
- They are attracted to oak forests infected with heart rot which provides good cavity trees.
- The Red-headed Woodpecker may utilize the same nest site for up to 12 years.
- Their acorn feeding benefits oak forest regeneration through seed dispersal.
- They occasionally drum on objects but not as frequently as other woodpeckers.
Conclusion
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a unique and fascinating woodpecker species. Despite population declines, it remains locally common within suitable habitat across eastern North America. This woodpecker plays an important role in many natural communities through tree cavity excavation, insect control, and oak forest regeneration. Ensuring sufficient mature oak forests and dead standing trees will be key to the Red-headed Woodpecker’s future success.