Red-headed Woodpecker

(Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

Status: Endangered (Provincial 2008 & COSEWIC 2018), Threatened (SARA 2009)

Table of Contents:

Species Identification
Diet
Habitat and Range
Biology and Behaviour
Similar Species
Threats/Reasons for Being Endangered
Conservation and Recovery Strategies
How You Can Help

Species Identification:

This medium-sized woodpecker of about 20 cm has striking colours with a deep red head and upper breast, black top feathers with a large white wing patch and underbelly. Males and females are almost indistinguishable from one another, and juvenile colouring is more dull-their heads range from brownish-grey to dull red. Their bellies have white plumage with variable amounts of darker streaks. The Red-headed Woodpecker’s call is distinctive with a single loud “kwee-arr”, or in bursts. They also make a chattering “kerr-r-ruck” sound.

Diet:

Red-headed Woodpeckers have an expansive omnivorous diet. They will drill into decaying trees for grubs, or snap up spiders, earthworms, nuts and berries. They have also been known to eat eggs and nestlings of other birds, lizards, and dead fish. During summer months they dive off branches to feed on insects in the air. In the winter they historically fed on mast like acorns and beechnuts, and more recently, corn or grains from agricultural fields. Recent research suggests they may also feed on the invasive and damaging Emerald Ash Borer larvae. Unlike most woodpeckers, the Red-headed Woodpecker will store food in caches around their breeding sites, typically within crevices of decaying trees. This behaviour inadvertently plays an important role in spreading seeds.

Map taken from Cornell Lab: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-headed_Woodpecker/maps-range

Habitat and Range:

Red-headed Woodpeckers are only found within North America. In Canada their range is within the southern parts of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. Most populations are found in the United States, where their range extends from the Great Plains through to the east coast, and down to the Gulf States. The Red-headed Woodpecker’s winter range is within the southern two thirds of their breeding range. Within the western portion of The Land Between there have been several confirmed sightings during breeding season. Winter sightings in Ontario are rare, although some may overwinter in the most southern parts of the province.

Populations of these woodpeckers have declined steeply in the past 50 years with annual population declines estimated at -1.88%, while the annual Ontario decline is even steeper at -3.43%. While the majority of Red-headed Woodpeckers breed in the United States, the Canadian population is estimated to be around 6,000, with 1,800 breeding individuals in Ontario.

The Red-headed Woodpecker is found in hardwood forests- especially oak and beech-dominated, with river edges and clearings. During breeding season they require dead trees or limbs, preferably with open canopy. These features are essential for their nesting, feeding, and perching. Higher populations of Red-headed Woodpeckers have been associated with high proportions of dead wood in canopies, thin undergrowth, and large-diameter trees.

Biology and Behaviour:

The Red-headed Woodpecker’s breeding and nesting season starts during the second week of May, and ends around the third week of August. An average of four eggs are laid at a time, and they are incubated for about two weeks, followed by up to four more weeks in the nest. Both parents help with incubation and feeding. Eggs and nestlings can be predated by snakes, raccoons, and other mammals. The adult woodpeckers will fiercely defend their nest, food caches, and territory against other bird species as well as other woodpeckers. They have a slow recruitment rate, and high predation which exacerbates their vulnerability to external threats.

Predators of adult Red-headed Woodpeckers include raptors like Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, and Eastern Screech Owls. They are also preyed on by Red Foxes, Raccoons, and Flying Squirrels.

Similar Species:

Adult Red-headed Woodpeckers are quite distinct, but the young may be confused with the Red-bellied Woodpecker, which has striped upper feathers, or the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, which has a more detailed pattern and does not have a solid red head.

Threats/ Reasons for being at Risk:

1. Habitat disturbance and loss: Red-headed Woodpeckers require complex habitat. They thrive when forests have a high abundance of dead wood, large diameter trees, and open undergrowth. The initial loss of mature hardwood stands following European settlement was a major disturbance to their habitat. Today, constant urbanization and expansion is also threatening the Red-headed Woodpecker and their habitat.

2. Natural wildfire suppression: Fires would historically clear forest undergrowth and provide more standing dead wood. Human interference is suppressing these natural and healthy wildfires, and many people physically remove snags and dead limbs for safety or aesthetics. The suppression of natural wildfires also increases the chance of sudden, uncontrollable wildfires due to the thick undergrowth that fuels them.

3. Invasive non-native species: The European Starling was introduced to North America in the late 1800s and has since thrived at the expense of many native species. The starlings and Red-headed Woodpeckers have similar nesting behaviour and in many cases must compete for sites. Another threat is the spread of tree diseases like Beech Bark Disease and the Emerald Ash Borer. The woodpeckers largely rely on nuts produced by beech, ash, and oak trees over winter, and they are negatively affected by their declining populations.

4. Loss of biological resources to logging: The loss of mature hardwood stands following European settlement likely resulted in a large decrease in Red-headed Woodpecker abundance. Forest managers will also remove dead branches and trees that woodpeckers rely on. The tendency towards short rotations of logging means that trees no longer reach large diameters or soften enough for cavity excavation.

5. Road traffic: Since Red-headed Woodpeckers often breed in urban areas like parks or golf courses, they are sometimes hit by vehicles while darting across roads. They are also at risk of road collisions while migrating.

Conservation and recovery strategies:

This woodpecker provides several essential ecological roles. As a primary excavator, it digs cavities in trees, which can later be used by an array of bird species, amphibians, and insects. Cavity excavation helps trees continue their natural cycle as they decay, fall, and become coarse woody material for other species to use. They also help regenerate beech and oak trees as their caches help disperse seeds.

The population of Red-headed Woodpeckers has declined substantially in Ontario, with a 60% loss in just two decades. Long-term recovery of the Red-headed Woodpecker will require cooperation from landowners, government, and industry. Forest managers should incorporate more complexity in their stands, and leave snags whenever feasible. Government, with the support of the public, could limit development in key habitat areas. Standards for forest management could also be implemented- for instance, requiring that dead wood be left alone. Government-funded research could address the spread of Beech Bark Disease, and potential control measures for European Starlings. Re-introducing controlled burns to the landscape would not only help woodpeckers, but also many other species.

How can you help?

Several landscapes have the potential to help recovery efforts including: parks, golf courses, large cemeteries, and urban forests. Managers of these landscapes can attract nesting Red-headed Woodpeckers by prioritizing large trees (especially oak, beech, and pine), keeping an open understory, and leaving dead and decaying wood.
Landowners should leave any standing dead trees and dead tree branches that do not pose a safety hazard. The importance of snags has largely been overlooked, since they do not have a direct economic value. Hundreds of species of birds, insects, and mammals rely on decaying wood to support their feeding and reproductive functions. To supplement the reduced number of snags, landowners can install nest boxes on their property. Ideally, these should be on trees with a diameter at breast height of at least 30 cm, and should be placed high up- at least 7 m if possible.
Individuals can also help the Red-headed Woodpecker by spreading the word of this bird’s plight. Tell your government representatives that you care- local government sets the policy which determines development expansion, sets forestry code, and funds research into tree disease. You can also report sightings to the National Heritage Information Centre, eBird, or iNaturalist.

Quick Facts:

Woodpeckers have cool adaptations to allow them to drill into trees: a feather flap stops wood chips from getting into their nostrils, and their tongue is long and barbed so they can reach into crevices for larvae and insects
The Red-headed Woodpecker is known to viciously defend their territory against other birds. They may even destroy eggs or nests from other species
They are one of the most easily recognizable bird species because of their bright red head

Additional Resources:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology page
Save that Snag- document by the Missouri Department of Conservation
Red-headed Woodpecker recovery team in Missouri
Information sheet by Muskoka Heritage Foundation & Muskoka Watershed
COSEWIC 2018 Assessment and Status Report
Ontario 2019 Recovery Strategy

Sources:

Bezener, A. 2000. Birds of Ontario. Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton.

Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage, and A.R. Couturier (eds.). 2007. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, the Ontario Field Ornithologists, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature. Toronto, xxii + 706 pp.

COSEWIC. 2018. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalusin Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. (http://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=en&n=24F7211B-1 ).

Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2019. Recovery Strategy for the Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) in Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa. viii + 118 pp (https://wildlife-species.canada.ca/species-risk-registry/virtual_sara/files/plans/rs%5Fred%5Fheaded%5Fwoodpecker%5Fe%5Fproposed%2Epdf )

Hughes, J.M. 2001. The ROM Field Guide to Birds of Ontario. The Royal Ontario Museum and McClelland & Stewart Ltd., Toronto.

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks. 2019. Species at Risk: Red-headed Woodpecker. (https://www.ontario.ca/page/red-headed-woodpecker).