Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a common woodpecker found in 3 countries, weighing about 72 g. The red-headed woodpecker is a mid-sized woodpecker found in temperate North America.
About the Red-headed Woodpecker
The red-headed woodpecker is a mid-sized woodpecker found in temperate North America. Its breeding habitat is open country across southern Canada and the east-central United States. It is rated as least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List of Endangered species, having been down-listed from near threatened in 2018.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
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.
What the Red-headed Woodpecker sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in St. Pierre & Miquelon.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, December, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Red-headed Woodpecker?
- Adults are distinctly tricolored, with a black back and tail, a white belly and rump, and a red head and neck. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Red-headed Woodpecker?
- The Red-headed Woodpecker is a medium sized bird weighing about 72 g.
- Where can you see a Red-headed Woodpecker?
- The Red-headed Woodpecker occurs in 3 countries, including the United States and Canada.
- What does a Red-headed Woodpecker sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Red-headed Woodpecker on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Red-headed Woodpecker?
- The Red-headed Woodpecker is most easily confused with the Acorn Woodpecker, the Golden-fronted Woodpecker and the Gila Woodpecker.
- Is the Red-headed Woodpecker endangered?
- The Red-headed Woodpecker is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Red-headed Woodpecker for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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