Field Guide/Birds/Melanerpes erythrocephalus
| Red-headed Woodpecker | ||||||||||||||
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| Photo: Woodpecker | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, is a small or medium-sized woodpecker.
Adults have a black back and tail with a red head and neck. Their underparts are mainly white. The wings are black with white secondaries. Non-birders often mistakenly identify the Red-bellied woodpecker as this species.
Their breeding habitat is open country across southern Canada and the eastern-central United States. They nest in a cavity in a dead tree or a dead part of a tree.
Northern birds migrate to the southern parts of the range; southern birds are often permanent residents.
These birds fly to catch insects in the air or on the ground, forage on trees or gather and store nuts. They are omnivorous, eating insects, seeds, fruits, berries and nuts. They also eat eggs, and nestlings.
Their numbers appear to be declining, possibly due to loss of habitat and competition with other birds for nest sites.
They give a "tchur-tchur" call or drum on territory.
