Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Written by Chris Coyle
Red-headed Woodpeckers are declining in the East partly due to competition with starlings for nest sites and the removal of dead trees for firewood. They are considered rare and irregular breeders in southern New England where they occasionally winter.
colleen, CC BY-SA 2.0HABITAT:
Open lowland or upland forests and woodlots with a low stem density. They are particularly attracted to dead trees for nesting as well as feeding on insects. They avoid forests with closed canopies. They tend to feed in open areas next to woodlots.
NESTING:
They nest in a cavity excavated in a dead tree or a barkless limb. The clutch is typically around five eggs. One or two broods may be hatched each year. Red-headed Woodpeckers do not want other species nesting in the same area. They are known to remove eggs of other species from nests and nest boxes.
BEHAVIOR:
These solitary birds defend their territory year-round. Much of their time is spent searching for food which, in autumn, is stored for winter. In addition to catching insects by hammering at wood, Red-headed Woodpeckers also catch insects in the air and hunt for them on the ground.
FOOD:
Insects – both larvae and adults. Also – wild fruits, acorns, beechnuts and corn.
PREDATORS:
Adults are subject to birds of prey and foxes. The eggs and chicks may be preyed on by snakes, raccoons and flying squirrels.