You’ve probably seen a woodpecker before, but if you’ve actually spotted a red headed woodpecker, you know it. Most people get them confused with Red-bellied Woodpeckers, which only have a patch of red on the nape. But this guy? The red headed woodpecker looks like it dipped its entire head in a bucket of crimson paint. It’s a striking, bold, almost aggressive-looking bird that stands out against the green of a summer forest like a neon sign.
They’re cool. Really cool.
But honestly, they’re in trouble. If you look at the data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey, their population plummeted by about 70% between 1966 and 2014. That’s a massive hit for a bird that used to be a staple of the American orchard and open woodland. It isn't just one thing killing them off; it’s a messy combination of habitat loss, changes in farming, and—believe it or not—the way we manage dead trees in our own backyards.
What Makes the Red Headed Woodpecker Different?
Most woodpeckers are specialized. They find a tree, they whack it until a bug comes out, and they eat the bug. Simple. The red headed woodpecker is a bit of a weirdo in the best way possible. They’re "flycatchers." You’ll see them sitting on a fence post or a dead branch, and suddenly they’ll dart out into the air to snatch a beetle or a moth right out of the sky. It’s agile. It’s frantic. It’s fun to watch.
They also have this strange habit of food caching. They aren't just eating for today; they’re planners. They’ll take grasshoppers, nuts, or corn and wedge them into crevices in bark or even under roof shingles. Sometimes they even shove live grasshoppers into tight cracks so they can’t escape, essentially creating a living larder for later. It’s a bit macabre, sure, but it’s brilliant survival.
The "Patriot" Bird
Back in the day, people called them the "Patriot Bird" because their color palette—vibrant red, snowy white, and deep blue-black—mimics the American flag. Audubon himself was obsessed with them. He noted how they would frequent orchards and even steal a bit of fruit here and there. They’ve always been bold around humans, which is probably why we noticed their decline so sharply.
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They need "snags." That’s the technical term for dead trees. If you’re the kind of person who cuts down every dead limb in your yard because it looks "messy," you’re accidentally evicted these birds. They need those soft, decaying trunks to carve out their homes. Without the snag, there’s no nest. No nest, no more red headed woodpeckers.
Why the Decline is Actually Happening
It’s easy to blame "climate change" for everything, but for this specific bird, the story is more localized and, frankly, more preventable. Agriculture changed. We used to have more open, "park-like" woodlots. Now, farms are either industrial-scale monocultures or they've been paved over for suburbs.
- Loss of Chestnut Trees: When the chestnut blight wiped out American chestnuts, a massive food source for these birds vanished. They relied on those nuts to get through the winter.
- The "Clean" Forest Problem: We have a habit of cleaning up nature. We remove dead wood because we think it’s a fire hazard or an eyesore. But to a red headed woodpecker, a dead tree is a luxury condo.
- Competition: Starlings. These invasive birds are the bullies of the avian world. They’ll wait for a red headed woodpecker to finish the hard work of excavating a hole, and then they’ll move in and kick the woodpecker out. It’s brutal to watch.
Where to Find Them Now
You can’t just go into any forest and expect to see one. They’re picky. You want to look for "savanna" style landscapes—places where there are big, old trees but plenty of open space in between them. Think golf courses, old cemeteries with big oaks, or the edges of beaver ponds where standing dead timber is common.
In the Midwest, they’re still hanging on in places like the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in Minnesota. Researchers there have been looking at how fire—specifically controlled burns—helps create the exact kind of habitat these birds crave. Fire clears out the thick underbrush, leaving the open spaces the woodpeckers need to fly-hunt their prey.
The Nutty Side of Their Diet
While they love a good beetle, these birds are huge fans of mast—that’s the fancy forestry word for nuts. Acorns and beechnuts are their bread and butter. This is why they’re one of the few woodpeckers that are truly migratory in the northern parts of their range. If the acorn crop fails in a specific forest one year, the woodpeckers just... leave. They aren't tied to a specific spot if the pantry is empty.
They’re also known to visit bird feeders, but don't expect them to show up for cheap birdseed. They want the good stuff. Suet, sunflower seeds, and especially whole peanuts will bring them in. If you live in an area where they’re present, putting out a specialized suet feeder can give you a front-row seat to their social dynamics. They are loud. They are territorial. They will chase off blue jays without blinking.
How You Can Actually Help
If you want to see more of these birds, you have to stop being so tidy. It sounds counterintuitive, but a "perfect" yard is a desert for wildlife.
- Leave the Snags: If a tree dies and it isn't a threat to your house or power lines, leave it standing. Or at least leave a 10-foot stump.
- Plant Oaks: Acorns are the currency of the forest. Planting a native oak tree is a long-term investment in the red headed woodpecker population.
- Fight the Starlings: Use starling-resistant feeders if you’re trying to attract woodpeckers. If you have nest boxes, make sure the entrance holes are the right size for native species and keep an eye out for invasive squatters.
The reality is that we’ve lost a lot of these birds, but they aren't gone yet. They’re resilient. They’ve survived the loss of the chestnut and the rise of the highway system (where many are unfortunately hit by cars because they forage near roadsides).
Taking Action Today
Start by surveying your own property or local park. Look for those dead "wolf trees" with wide-spreading branches. If you hear a loud, raspy kwrrrk sound, look up. You might just see that flash of crimson. Protecting the red headed woodpecker isn't about massive global shifts; it’s about what we do with the trees in our own backyards and how we value the "messy" parts of nature.
Check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "NestWatch" program if you really want to get involved. You can help scientists track where these birds are still breeding and what kind of trees they’re choosing. Every bit of data helps when we're trying to figure out how to stop the slide.
Next Steps for Preservation:
- Identify Local Habitats: Visit nearby nature preserves that utilize prescribed burns or maintain open oak savannas.
- Modify Your Landscaping: Retain dead wood and avoid over-pruning mature trees to provide nesting sites and food storage locations.
- Support Land Trusts: Contribute to organizations that focus on preserving wetlands and old-growth forests in the eastern and central United States.
- Citizen Science: Use apps like eBird to report sightings, which helps biologists map current population densities and migration shifts.
The red headed woodpecker is more than just a pretty face in the forest; it is a critical indicator of the health of our deciduous ecosystems. By making small adjustments to how we manage our local environments, we ensure that the "Patriot Bird" remains a vibrant part of the American landscape for the next century.