Red-headed Woodpeckers
Member of the Picidae Family: Woodpeckers ... Sapsuckers ... Flicker
The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is found in most parts of the eastern-central United States stretching north into southern Canada.
Northern birds migrate to the southern parts of the range, with most having arrived on the breeding range by late April, and having left for winter quarters by late October; southern birds are often permanent residents.
Once abundant, populations have seriously declined since 1966 due to increased nesting competition from starlings and removal of dead trees (used as nesting sites) from woodlands. Many Northeastern states no longer have nesting red-headed woodpeckers.
There are three recognized subspecies:
- Melanerpes erythrocephalus brodkorbi
- Melanerpes erythrocephalus caurinus
- Melanerpes erythrocephalus erythrocephalus
Description
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a small or medium-sized woodpecker. Adults have a black back and tail with a red head and neck. Their underparts are mainly white. The wings are black with white secondaries.
Adult males and females look alike. Juveniles are similarly shaded, but are mottled with brown.
Similar Species ID:
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are often misidentified as Red-headed Woodpeckers as they look similar and their range overlaps somewhat. However, even though red-bellied woodpeckers have some bright red on the backs of their necks and heads just like the red-headed woodpecker, red-headed woodpeckers have a much deeper red that covers their entire heads and necks; and they also have a different overall plumage pattern.
Nesting / Breeding:
They nest in a cavity in a dead tree, utility pole, or a dead part of a tree that is between 8 and 80 feet (2.5 to 25 m) above the ground. They lay four to seven eggs in early May which are incubated for two weeks. Two broods can be raised in a single nesting season.
Diet:
These birds fly to catch insects in the air or on the ground, forage on trees or gather and store nuts. They are omnivorous, eating insects, seeds, fruits, berries, nuts, and occasionally even the eggs of other birds. About two thirds of their diet is made up of plants.
Call / Song:
They give a "tchur-tchur" call or drum on territory.
Threats:
This woodpecker was formerly targeted by hunters for their brilliant red plumage as well as being considered an agricultural pest for causing damage to telephone poles. Due to this, their population decreased significantly.
Another reason constituted the loss of food sources caused by the decline of beech tree and the disappearance of the Rocky Mountain grasshoppers.
Nest failures occured when nests were excavated in telephone poles recently treated with creosote.
The habitat of this woodpecker has been degraded by the harvesting of snags, clearcuts, agricultural development, channeling of rivers, regeneration of eastern forests, fire suppression, monoculture crops, and the loss of small orchards.
Once abundant, populations have seriously declined since 1966 due to increased nest site competition from European Starlings and removal of dead trees (used as nesting sites) from woodlands. Many Northeastern states no longer have nesting red-headed woodpeckers. In Ohio, for example, an irregular population is present in most years, but it is not self-sustaining.
The red-headed woodpecker is listed as a vulnerable species in Canada and as a threatened species in some states in the US. The species has declined in numbers due to habitat loss caused by harvesting of snags, agricultural development, channeling of rivers, a decline in farming resulting to regeneration of eastern forests, monoculture crops, the loss of small orchards, and treatment of telephone poles with creosote.
Adapted from: Audubon Watchlist and Wikipedia.org - Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.org.
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