9.25 inches long. The Red-headed Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker. It has a bright red head and neck. The back and wings are black with prominent white wing patches visible in flight and at rest. The tail is black with white outer tail feathers. The breast, belly, rump, and vent are snowy white. The juvenile has a mottled brown head and neck and is overall more brownish.
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a very common breeding bird that generally shows up by mid April and leaves by late November. However, occasionally some birds my overwinter.
Of woodpeckers, red-headed woodpeckers are in decline due to habitat loss. These birds feed on the wing, meaning that they catch their prey mid-flight as opposed to hunting insects under tree bark like other woodpeckers. They also choose dead, decaying trees to nest and roost. These characteristics make habitats with frequent fire such as oak savannas and open oak woodlands an ideal habitat for these woodpeckers. Oak savanna is a transitional ecosystem between forest and grasslands, characterized by scattered oak trees among open grasslands, with woody vegetation in the understory kept in check by periodic fire and browsing/grazing animals.
The Red-headed Woodpecker one of the most easily recognized and handsome birds in the eastern United States. It is an expert and persistent flycatcher. Its diet is omnivorous with acorns being one of its preferred foods. It will store food for later use. The call is a wheezy “queerp”.
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