Bird Guide

Acorn Woodpecker vs Red-headed Woodpecker

Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)

Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus

Medium80 gWoodland

The adult acorn woodpecker has a brownish-black head, back, wings and tail, white forehead, throat, belly and rump. The eyes are initially dark in fledglings, turning to white within a few months. There is a small part on the small of their backs where there are some greenish feathers. The bird is mostly black, with adult males have a red cap starting at the forehead, whereas females have a black area between the forehead and the cap. The white neck, throat, and forehead patches are distinctive identifiers. When flying, they take a few flaps of their wings and drop a foot or so.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Acorn Woodpecker
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call · McClellan Ranch Preserve, Santa Clara, California, United States · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: marlin harms · CC BY 2.0
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Medium72 gForest

Adults are distinctly tricolored, with a black back and tail, a white belly and rump, and a red head and neck. The wings are black with white secondary remiges. Adult males and females are identical in plumage. Juveniles have similar markings, but their heads are grey. Red-headed woodpeckers are entirely crimson above their shoulders. These are mid-sized woodpeckers. Both sexes measure from 19 to 25 cm (7.5 to 9.8 in) in length, with a wingspan of 42.5 cm (16.7 in). They weigh from 56 to 97 g (2.0 to 3.4 oz), with an average of 76 g (2.7 oz). Each wing measures 12.7–15 cm (5.0–5.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Red-headed Woodpecker
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call · Four Mile Draw Rd, Custer State Park, South Dakota, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: David Menke · Public domain

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Acorn Woodpecker and Red-headed Woodpecker.