Red-headed Woodpecker

Physical Characteristics

Plumage:
The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is among the most strikingly patterned North American woodpeckers, easily recognized by its bold, entirely crimson-red head, neck, and throat. Its body contrasts sharply with a snowy white breast, belly, and rump, along with jet-black wings that feature large white wing patches visible in flight.

Head:
The brilliant red head is uniform, unlike most other woodpeckers that only show patches of red. The bill is long, straight, and chisel-like, adapted for drilling, probing, and capturing insects. The eyes are dark and positioned for excellent vision while foraging.

Body:
This medium-sized woodpecker has a compact, strong build. Its white underparts and striking black-and-white wings create a checkered appearance when perched, but flash bold black and white in flight.

Size:

• Length: 7.5–9.5 in (19–24 cm)

• Wingspan: 16–17 in (42–47 cm)

• Weight: 2.0–3.4 oz (56–97 g)

Feet & Tail:
As with other woodpeckers, it has zygodactyl feet (two toes pointing forward, two backward), excellent for climbing tree trunks. Its stiff tail feathers act as a brace while clinging to vertical surfaces.

Flight Style:
The Red-headed Woodpecker’s flight is direct and strong, more like a jay or crow than the bounding, undulating flight typical of many woodpeckers. In flight, the large white wing patches make it especially easy to identify.

The Red-headed Woodpecker’s bold coloration, powerful bill, and strong, crow-like flight style make it one of the most visually distinctive woodpeckers in North America.

Reproduction

Breeding Season:
Red-headed Woodpeckers breed from May through July, with peak activity in late spring and early summer. Pairs form in spring, often returning to the same nesting territory year after year.

Courtship:
Courtship involves dramatic displays, including wing-spreading, calling, and chasing around tree trunks. Pairs are generally monogamous for the breeding season, with some maintaining longer-term pair bonds.

Nesting:

• Both sexes work together to excavate a cavity, usually in dead trees, snags, or wooden fence posts.

• They often prefer open areas with scattered trees, allowing easy access to feeding and storage sites.

• Cavities are typically 8–16 in (20–40 cm) deep, with a simple wood-chip floor as lining.

Eggs:

• A typical clutch contains 4 to 7 pure white eggs.

Incubation:

• Lasts about 12 to 14 days.

• Both parents share incubation duties, alternating shifts during the day, while the male often incubates overnight.

Chick Development:

• Hatchlings are altricial—blind and featherless at birth.

• Both parents feed the young by regurgitation.

• Nestlings fledge at about 24 to 27 days, but often remain dependent on parents for food and protection for several more weeks.

Maturity:

• Juveniles begin independent life in late summer.

• Sexual maturity is reached by 1 year of age, allowing them to breed the following spring.

The Red-headed Woodpecker’s reproductive cycle is enhanced by strong parental cooperation and reliance on cavity nesting, but its preference for open woodlands with dead trees makes it vulnerable to habitat loss.

Lifespan

In the Wild:
Red-headed Woodpeckers typically live 8 to 10 years in their natural habitats. However, like many cavity-nesting birds, a large percentage do not survive their first year due to predation, competition, and environmental challenges.

In Captivity:
With veterinary care and protection from predators, they can live longer, sometimes reaching 12 years or more, though they are not commonly kept outside of rehabilitation or research settings.

Record Lifespan:
The oldest known wild Red-headed Woodpecker, recorded through banding data, lived at least 9 years and 11 months.

Threats to Longevity:

• Predation: Eggs and chicks are taken by snakes, squirrels, raccoons, and other birds. Adults may fall prey to hawks and owls.

• Habitat Loss: Removal of dead trees and snags in open woodlands reduces essential nesting and foraging opportunities.

• Collisions: Strikes with vehicles and windows are a major source of mortality, especially since this species often forages in open country near roads.

• Competition: Competes with starlings, other woodpeckers, and cavity-nesting birds for nest sites.

Despite these threats, Red-headed Woodpeckers remain resilient and adaptable, though populations have declined in many regions due to habitat loss and reduced food availability.

Eating Habits

Diet:
The Red-headed Woodpecker is an omnivore with one of the most varied diets among North American woodpeckers. It feeds on:

• Insects: Beetles, ants, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and other flying or crawling insects.

• Fruits & Nuts: Acorns, beechnuts, pecans, corn, cherries, apples, and berries.

• Small Vertebrates: Occasionally eats mice, lizards, or the eggs and nestlings of other birds.

• Carrion: Known to feed opportunistically on roadkill or other dead animals.

Foraging Behavior:

• Highly versatile, the Red-headed Woodpecker catches insects in flight (flycatcher style), gleans them from bark and foliage, or forages on the ground.

• It is one of the few woodpeckers that stores food extensively, caching acorns, nuts, and seeds in tree crevices, fence posts, or utility poles, often covering them with bark or wood chips.

• They are territorial about food stores, guarding caches throughout the year, especially in winter.

Feeding Adaptations:

• Strong bill allows it to excavate insects from wood but also makes it effective at capturing prey in midair.

• Long, sticky tongue helps it secure insects from crevices.

• Adaptable feeding strategies allow it to exploit both natural and human-modified environments.

Role in Ecosystem:
By controlling insect populations, dispersing seeds, and caching nuts and acorns, Red-headed Woodpeckers help shape forest ecosystems. Their food storage behavior can even lead to forest regeneration, as forgotten acorns may sprout into new trees.

Uniqueness

Bold Appearance:
Few birds in North America are as instantly recognizable as the Red-headed Woodpecker, with its entirely crimson-red head, snow-white underparts, and black-and-white wings. Unlike most woodpeckers with partial red markings, its head is completely red.

Versatile Feeding Strategies:
This species is unusual among woodpeckers for its ability to catch insects in midair, forage on the ground, strip bark for insects, and cache nuts and seeds. It is one of the most opportunistic and versatile feeders in its family.

Food Caching Experts:
Red-headed Woodpeckers are known as “the flying pantry”—they store large quantities of acorns, nuts, and seeds in tree crevices and even man-made structures, often covering them with bark or wood chips. They are among the few woodpeckers that cache food in bulk for winter survival.

Crow-like Flight:
Unlike the bounding, undulating flight typical of most woodpeckers, this species has a direct, strong, crow-like flight style, making it easy to distinguish in the air.

Ecological Role:
Their caching behavior not only sustains them but also contributes to forest regeneration, as some stored acorns and nuts are forgotten and later sprout into new trees.

Cultural Symbol:
Because of its brilliant plumage and presence in open woodlands, the Red-headed Woodpecker has often been celebrated in folklore, art, and conservation efforts as a symbol of resilience and beauty in North American birdlife.

The Red-headed Woodpecker’s combination of striking coloration, food storage behavior, and diverse feeding habitsmakes it one of the most unique and charismatic woodpeckers in North America.