Red-headed Woodpecker - BirdForum Opus

Photo © by KC Foggin
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA, November 2005

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Identification

21 - 24 cm (8¼-9½in)

• Red head
• Blue-black back
• White under parts
• Wings black with white inner patches
• White rump.

Distribution

Mid- to eastern United States. Summer range extends to the Canadian border, but winters more southerly in the range. Uncommon in northeast.

Photo © by etow
Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area, Ohio November 2005

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Subspecies brodkorbi and caurinus are not generally recognised^[2]

Habitat

Mature mixed deciduous and hardwood forests, woodlands with dead trees. Habitat and population decreasing rapidly.

Behaviour

Prefer open deciduous woods, preferably with plenty of oaks nearby.

Diet

Juvenile
Photo © by CurtMorgan
Old Troy Rd, Albany, New York, November 2015

Their varied diet consists of animal matter during the spring, moving on to seeds and plant material in the winter months.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved April 2016)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Red-headed Woodpecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 September 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-headed_Woodpecker

External Links

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