Montana Field Guide

Red-headed Woodpecker - Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Red-headed Woodpeckers are medium sized woodpeckers averaging approximately 9.25 inches in length. Adults of both sexes have a bright red color on their entire head, neck and throat. The underparts are white and the back is a blue-black (National Geographic Society 1987). Red-headed Woodpeckers have a strikingly white rump patch and inner wing (secondaries) patches that are clearly visible in flight and while perched (Sibley 2000). Juveniles have an overall brown color to their head, neck and throat. They obtain the red during their first winter molt (NGS 1987).

The vocalization of the Red-headed Woodpecker is a wheezy "queeah" or "queerp" contact call similar to the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), but weaker overall. They also have a low, harsh "chug" call while in flight, also similar to the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Sibley 2000). Their drum is weak, short and slow.

The completely red head (in adults) and the white wing patches (on secondaries) are both diagnostic features separating the Red-headed Woodpecker from any other woodpecker. The Red-bellied Woodpecker is sometimes confused with, and given the same name as, the Red-headed Woodpecker. However, a close look will reveal no red on the throat or the sides of the head on the Red-bellied as well as a lack of white wing patches. The Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) is also superficially similar to the Red-headed Woodpecker. However, their ranges do not overlap and the sapsucker has white patterning on the back, rather than the all black back and white rump of the Red-headed Woodpecker (Smith et al. 2000).

Montana Range

Little information regarding migration of Red-headed Woodpeckers is known for Montana. Red-headed Woodpeckers are said to arrive in mid-May and leave in mid-September (Cameron 1907). Montana Bird Distribution (2003) confirms this during spring with reports of migratory observations in May. However, MBD has no records of transience or migration in September. The latest observations for fall migration are in August (MBD 2003). In fall, Red-headed Woodpeckers likely follow watercourses during their migration (Robbins and Easterla 1992), taking them east into North and South Dakota or southeast into Wyoming before they turn south heading for their wintering grounds in the Midwest and southern states. During spring migration, they probably follow these same watercourses into the state from areas further east and south.

With no systematic surveys completed within the state, little is known about Red-headed Woodpecker habitat in Montana. When they have been observed, they are usually found along major rivers having riparian forest associated with them. Another area where they may be found is open savannah country, as long as adequate ground cover, snags and canopy cover can be found. Large burns can also be utilized by the species (Bent 1939, Ehrlich et al. 1988). They nest in holes excavated 2 to 25 meters above ground by both sexes in live trees, dead stubs, utility poles, or fence posts. Sometimes they use existing holes in poles or posts. Individuals typically nest in the same tree or cavity in successive years (Ingold 1991).

Food habits have not been studied in Montana to date. Studies in other areas of the species' range reveal that Red-headed Woodpeckers eat insects and other invertebrates, berries and nuts, sap, and the young and eggs of birds. Often they will flycatch, or forage on the ground and in trees (dead wood) and shrubs. Animal food is about 50% of their diet. Rarely will they drill into trees for insects (Terres 1980). Red-headed Woodpeckers cache food items in crevices. Young are fed insects, worms, spiders, and berries.

No ecological information concerning Red-headed Woodpeckers exists for Montana. However, in other regions of their range, including Michigan, European Starlings (Sternus vulgaris) usurped 52% of Red-headed Woodpecker nest cavities (Ingold 1989). In Ohio, 15% of cavities were lost to starlings (Ingold 1994). Woodpeckers do not necessarily incur a reduction in fecundity because they may be able to renest successfully later in the season, though this is not without its problems (Ingold 1994). They exhibit high fidelity to the breeding site--15 of 45 banded adults returned to the previous year's nest area (Ingold 1991); one male moved 1 kilometer between breeding seasons (Belson 1998).

Summer territories range from 3.1 to 8.5 hectares (Venables and Collopy 1989); winter territories are smaller, ranging only 0.17 hectare to 1 hectare (Williams and Batzli 1979, Venables and Collopy 1989, Moskovits 1978).

No specific information regarding Red-headed Woodpecker reproduction in Montana is currently available. However, information from other areas of the species breeding range, specifically the southeastern U.S. and Ohio, state that nests generally are initiated in early May (Ingold 1989, 1994). Clutch size is four to seven eggs (usually five). Incubation lasts about 14 days, by both sexes. Both parents tend young, and they leave the nest at about 27 days.

No known active management is ongoing for Red-headed Woodpeckers in the state. In fact, the species is virtually unmonitored in Montana (Casey 2000). Red-headed Woodpeckers are a Species of Management Concern in Region 6 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995).