Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
They are the only woodpecker species known to cover their stored food with pieces of bark or wood to hide it from potential thieves.
- Scientific name
- Melanerpes erythrocephalus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Piciformes › Picidae › Melanerpes
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Open deciduous forests, oak savannas, groves, orchards, and suburban parks with mature trees.
- Diet
- Omnivorous; feeds on flying insects, acorns, beech nuts, berries, and occasionally small vertebrates or eggs.
- Range
- Eastern United States, Central United States, Southern Canada
- Size
- 19-25 cm length; 42-43 cm wingspan
- Lifespan
- 9-12 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Loss of nesting habitat due to the removal of dead trees (snags) and competition for cavities with invasive European Starlings.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and skittish. Observe from a distance of at least 20 feet to avoid disrupting their foraging or nesting. If you find an injured bird, do not handle it; contact a local licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
The red-headed woodpecker ( Melanerpes erythrocephalus ) is a small or medium-sized woodpecker from temperate North America. Their breeding habitat is open country across southern Canada and the eastern-central United States. The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
Photo: Louise Woodrich, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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