Photo: colleen / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
Found across 17 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a member of the Picidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 71.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Melanerpes
- Species erythrocephalus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 71.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look alike: adults have an entirely bright-red head and neck, a snowy-white breast and belly, and a black back with large white wing patches that make the lower back look white when perched.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles/immatures have a gray-brown (not red) head, a dingier belly, a blackish-brown back, and white wing patches marked with rows of dark spots/bars; red on the head comes in gradually through the first fall and winter.
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Red-headed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It is found across North America. Its distribution covers NA sc, se Canada to se USA.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 71.6 g, with a wing length of about 14 cm and a tail of around 8.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-headed Woodpecker?
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 71.6 g.
Where does the Red-headed Woodpecker live?
The Red-headed Woodpecker is found across North America with a range covering NA sc, se Canada to se USA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Red-headed Woodpecker belong to?
The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Red-headed Woodpecker eat?
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Red-headed Woodpecker migrate?
The Red-headed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-headed Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Red-headed Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Red-headed Woodpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-headed Woodpecker's range?
The Red-headed Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 5.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
How to Attract Red-headed Woodpecker to Your Yard
The honest, data-backed way to attract Red-headed Woodpecker to your yard — the feeders and food they actually use (suet), nesting help, and habitat that brings them in.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.