Red-headed woodpeckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) are medium-sized woodpeckers native to North America. They are known for their striking plumage, with completely red heads, white bellies, black backs and wings, and distinctive zebra-striped flight feathers. Red-headed woodpeckers inhabit open forests, woodlots, orchards, parks, and grasslands with scattered large trees throughout their range.
Tree Habitat
Red-headed woodpeckers require trees for nesting, roosting, and foraging. They are habitat generalists and utilize a variety of tree species across their range. Preferred trees include:
- Oaks
- Hickories
- Maples
- Cherries
- Ashes
- Elms
- Beeches
- Poplars
- Willows
- Pines
Mature open woodlands with large, old trees are ideal as they provide cavities for nesting and roosting, as well as bark suitable for foraging insects. However, red-headed woodpeckers are adaptable and will utilize any trees large enough to support their nest cavities.
Nesting Trees
Red-headed woodpeckers are primary cavity nesters, meaning they excavate their own nest and roost cavities in trees. Preferred nest trees include:
- Oaks
- Maples
- Hickories
- Pines
- Poplars
- Willows
- Ashes
- Birches
Dead trees and dead branches on live trees are often preferred for easier excavation. Cavities are typically excavated 10-60 feet above ground in the trunk or large branch of a tree. Red-headed woodpeckers will reuse nesting cavities in subsequent years and may use old cavities created by other woodpecker species.
Foraging Trees
Red-headed woodpeckers forage primarily on trees, probing under bark, in crevices, and on the trunks and branches for insects. Preferred foraging trees include:
- Oaks
- Pines
- Maples
- Ashes
- Hickories
- Willows
- Cottonwoods
- Elms
They occasionally forage on shrubs and on the ground as well. Trees infected with heartwood decay that are infested with carpenter ants and beetle larvae are especially attractive for foraging.
Roosting Trees
At night, red-headed woodpeckers roost in cavities in trees. Favored roost trees are similar to nest trees and include:
- Oaks
- Pines
- Maples
- Ashes
- Cottonwoods
Cavities in both live trees and dead snags are used for roosting. Red-headed woodpeckers often excavate dedicated roosting cavities different than their nest cavities.
Tree Size and Age Preferences
Mature trees with a minimum trunk diameter of around 15 inches are required for red-headed woodpeckers to excavate nest and roost cavities. Bigger, older trees provide better cavities. Some key tree size and age preferences include:
- Prefer trees over 60 years old for nesting
- Utilize trees as young as 30 years old for foraging
- Cavities excavated in trunks a minimum of 15 inches in diameter
- Prefer taller trees with nest cavities typically 10-60 feet above ground
- Older forests with large diameter trees and dead snags ideal
While red-headed woodpeckers are found in younger forests, occupancy rates increase with age and size of trees available. The tallest, oldest trees with the biggest trunk diameters provide ideal nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat.
Geographic Variation in Tree Use
The preferred tree species used by red-headed woodpeckers varies across their range based on local forest composition and tree species availability. However, they consistently prefer mature stands with large, old trees throughout their range. Some key geographic differences include:
| Region | Most Used Tree Types |
|---|---|
| Northeast | Oaks, maples, ashes, hickories |
| Midwest | Oaks, hickories, ashes, elms |
| Southeast | Pines, oaks, hickories, poplars, sweetgum |
| West | Cottonwoods, willows, oaks, pines |
Regardless of dominant tree species in a given region, red-headed woodpeckers are adaptable and utilize available large, mature trees. Forest fragmentation and loss of old-growth forest is a major threat to red-headed woodpeckers throughout their range.
Ideal Forest Habitat
The ideal forest habitat for red-headed woodpeckers consists of the following tree features:
- Mature, open forest with little understory vegetation
- Abundant large diameter trees over 60 years old
- Canopy gaps facilitating flycatching foraging
- Stands of large oaks, pines, or cottonwoods
- Availability of dead snags for nesting and roosting
- Forest edge habitat adjacent to foraging areas
Red-headed woodpeckers thrive in open, mature forests with big old trees. Conservation efforts for the species should focus on preserving old-growth stands, retaining large diameter snags, and allowing mature forests to develop with minimal understory clutter.
Threats to Forest Habitat
Red-headed woodpecker populations have declined over the past century, primarily due to habitat loss. The greatest threats to their forest habitat include:
- Logging of mature forests
- Removal of dead snags
- Suppression of natural fires
- Prevalence of young, dense forest stands
- Fragmentation of contiguous forest
- Short timber harvest rotations
- Wood collecting
Widespread clearing of old-growth forest for timber and land conversion has severely degraded red-headed woodpecker habitat. Also, modern forest management focused on short rotations of young trees has reduced suitable habitat. Conservation efforts aimed at preserving mature stands and longer rotation ages are critical for red-headed woodpecker preservation.
Providing Suitable Habitat
The following actions can help provide, maintain, and improve red-headed woodpecker habitat:
- Preserve existing old-growth forest stands
- Allow forests to mature with minimal understory
- Retain large snags when salvage logging
- Girdle trees to create additional snags
- Extend timber harvest rotations
- Thin young forests to encourage growth
- Implement prescribed burns to maintain open understory
- Protect large deciduous trees for nesting
- Install nest boxes in suitable habitat
Managing forests to develop mature stands with large snags and open structure will benefit red-headed woodpeckers. Protecting remaining old-growth and encouraging natural forest development are the most critical conservation needs.
Conclusion
Red-headed woodpeckers require mature, open forests with abundant large, old trees for nesting, roosting, and foraging. They are adapted to excavate their own nest and roost cavities in live trees and dead snags over 15 inches in diameter. While oaks, pines, and cottonwoods are frequently used, red-headed woodpeckers will use any large deciduous or coniferous tree species available within their range. Conservation efforts should focus on preserving old-growth stands, allowing forest maturation, and providing a matrix of open forest, edge habitat, and foraging areas. Protecting remaining mature forests and managing young forests to encourage large tree development will be key for preserving red-headed woodpecker habitat into the future.
