Red-headed Woodpecker: Identification, Nesting & Diet

The Red-headed Woodpecker, sometimes called the Flag Bird, is one of the most recognizable woodpeckers in North America.

Its bright red head and bold black and white body make it hard to mistake for any other bird. Many people first notice this species because of its vivid colors or loud drumming in open woodlands.

These birds can be aggressive toward other woodpeckers or animals that approach their nest or food caches.

Although not rare, they are less common than they once were because of habitat loss and competition for nesting sites.

Once you have seen a Red-headed Woodpecker, you will never confuse it with the Red-bellied Woodpecker, which has only a reddish cap and a barred back.

Description: Size and Field Marks

This woodpecker measures about eight and a half to nine and a half inches long. It is the only North American woodpecker with an entirely red head.

The body and wings are sharply patterned in black and white. In flight you can see the clean white rump and the half-white inner wings.

Females look the same as males. Juveniles have brown heads, black backs with white wing patches, and pale underparts.

Similar species. The Red-bellied Woodpecker shows only a reddish nape and has a barred back. The Red-headed Woodpecker's full red head and crisp color blocks make identification easy, even from a distance.

Listen to the Red-headed Woodpecker Call

Red-headed Woodpeckers live in open woods, groves, farmland, and suburbs. They are common east of the Rockies. I often locate them by sound before I see them. Their calls carry far through the trees.

Feeding Habits

These woodpeckers eat insects, spiders, earthworms, mice, nuts, berries, and corn.

You can attract them with suet, black-oil sunflower seeds, and shelled nuts such as peanuts or pecans.

They sometimes catch insects in mid-air and also search through leaf litter on the ground.

Red-headed Woodpeckers store acorns, nuts, and insects in bark crevices to use during winter. They guard these caches from other woodpeckers, jays, and crows.

Where They Live

Red-headed Woodpeckers favor open woodlands, parks, and farmlands with scattered trees. They often choose areas with large dead limbs or standing snags for nesting.

These dead trees are critical for life. Unfortunately, they are often removed for firewood or safety, reducing available habitat.

Loss of open forest and competition for cavities from starlings also affect their numbers. Urban development continues to shrink suitable areas.

Leaving a few dead trees or adding woodpecker houses can make a difference.

Mating Habits and Breeding Season

Breeding season for Red-headed Woodpeckers begins in late April. Males drum faster and louder to attract a mate and mark their territory.

In the southern part of their range, this activity can start earlier and may continue into midsummer when conditions stay favorable.

Once a female accepts the male's territory, the two begin nesting. Pair bonds often last several years, and some pairs return to the same area each spring if both birds survive.

Their courtship flights and drumming displays are among the most energetic of any woodpecker.

Unlike many species, Red-headed Woodpeckers sometimes reuse old nest sites if the cavity remains sound. Pairs that start breeding early may raise a second brood before summer ends.

Egg Laying and Nesting Habits

Both adults help excavate the nest cavity, but the male does most of the work. The process can take one to three weeks depending on wood hardness and weather.

Cavities average six to eighteen inches deep and can be five to eighty feet above ground, most often in dead trees or large limbs.

The female usually lays her eggs from late April through July. Each clutch contains four to seven glossy white eggs.

Both parents share incubation duties, with females by day and males by night. Incubation lasts about fourteen days before hatching.

After the young hatch, both adults feed them until they fledge about thirty days later.

The young may stay near their parents for one to two months before leaving to find their own territory. Pairs that begin breeding early sometimes raise two broods in a single season.

Migration

Northern populations migrate south in autumn and gather in areas with plentiful acorns. Southern birds often remain through the winter.

Migration depends on food supply; in years when mast crops fail, more birds move south.

Range and Conservation

Red-headed Woodpeckers live across much of the central and eastern United States. Northern populations migrate each fall, while southern ones stay all year.

They prefer open forests, oak savannas, parks, and farms with scattered trees.

Numbers have fallen where old trees and dead limbs are removed for safety or firewood. Loss of open habitat and competition from starlings have also reduced nesting success.

Leaving a few dead trees standing or adding birdhouses can help maintain local populations.

The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, yet conservation of mature trees and open woodlands remains essential to its long-term health.

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Gene Planker is the creator of Wild-Bird-Watching.com. With more than fifty years of backyard birding experience, he helps readers understand the nesting, feeding, and behavior of backyard birds.

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