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Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Bird · family Picidae · order Piciformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
41 states[3]
Oldest known wild bird
9 years[4]

The Red-headed Woodpecker is a bird in the woodpecker family, Picidae[5]. NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) worldwide, and it is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[2][1].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the Red-headed Woodpecker a global rank of G5 (Secure) and a national rank in the United States of N5B,N5N, which is Secure for both breeding and nonbreeding birds[2][6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. The bird is not listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act[1]. It is on the federal list of migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8]. NatureServe also notes some local declines, mostly in the southeast[9].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5B,N5N (Secure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding))
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8] Protected
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[10] >1,000,000 individuals

Where Red-headed Woodpecker lives

NatureServe lists the Red-headed Woodpecker as native in 41 US states and territories[3]. These include Texas, Florida, Ohio, New York, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming, along with the District of Columbia[3]. State conservation ranks vary a lot from one state to the next, and the full table is on this page[11]. Birds that breed in the west and north move east or south for winter[12].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: native, state rank S3BWIVermont: native, state rank S1BVTNew Hampshire: native, state rank SNANHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: native, state rank S3BMTNorth Dakota: native, state rank SNRBNDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRB,SNRNMNIllinois: native, state rank S5ILMichigan: native, state rank S3MINew York: native, state rank S2BNYMassachusetts: native, state rank S1B,S2NMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: native, state rank S2BWYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5BSDIowa: native, state rank S5BIAIndiana: native, state rank S4INOhio: native, state rank S5OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S4B,S4NPANew Jersey: native, state rank S2B,S3NNJConnecticut: native, state rank S1CTRhode Island: native, state rank S1B,S1NRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: native, state rank S3BCONebraska: native, state rank S5NEMissouri: native, state rank SNRB,SNRNMOKentucky: native, state rank S4B,S4NKYWest Virginia: native, state rank S3B,S3NWVVirginia: native, state rank S4BVAMaryland: native, state rank S4MDDelaware: native, state rank S3DEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: native, state rank S3B,S3NNMKansas: native, state rank S4BKSArkansas: native, state rank S4B,S4NARTennessee: native, state rank S4TNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S4B,S4NNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S4SCDistrict of Columbia: native, state rank S1N,SHBDCOklahoma: native, state rank SNRNOKLouisiana: native, state rank S4LAMississippi: native, state rank S4MSAlabama: native, state rank S5ALGeorgia: native, state rank S4GAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S3BTXFlorida: native, state rank S4FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[11].
Show state ranks (41 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS5Secure
ArkansasS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
ColoradoS3BVulnerable (breeding)
ConnecticutS1Critically Imperiled
DelawareS3Vulnerable
District of ColumbiaS1N,SHBCritically Imperiled (nonbreeding), Possibly Extirpated (breeding)
FloridaS4Apparently Secure
GeorgiaS4Apparently Secure
IllinoisS5Secure
IndianaS4Apparently Secure
IowaS5BSecure (breeding)
KansasS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
KentuckyS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
LouisianaS4Apparently Secure
MarylandS4Apparently Secure
MassachusettsS1B,S2NCritically Imperiled (breeding), Imperiled (nonbreeding)
MichiganS3Vulnerable
MinnesotaSNRB,SNRNNot Ranked (breeding), Not Ranked (nonbreeding)
MississippiS4Apparently Secure
MissouriSNRB,SNRNNot Ranked (breeding), Not Ranked (nonbreeding)
MontanaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
NebraskaS5Secure
New HampshireSNANot Applicable
New JerseyS2B,S3NImperiled (breeding), Vulnerable (nonbreeding)
New MexicoS3B,S3NVulnerable (breeding), Vulnerable (nonbreeding)
New YorkS2BImperiled (breeding)
North CarolinaS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
North DakotaSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
OhioS5Secure
OklahomaSNRNNot Ranked (nonbreeding)
PennsylvaniaS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
Rhode IslandS1B,S1NCritically Imperiled (breeding), Critically Imperiled (nonbreeding)
South CarolinaS4Apparently Secure
South DakotaS5BSecure (breeding)
TennesseeS4Apparently Secure
TexasS3BVulnerable (breeding)
VermontS1BCritically Imperiled (breeding)
VirginiaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
West VirginiaS3B,S3NVulnerable (breeding), Vulnerable (nonbreeding)
WisconsinS3BVulnerable (breeding)
WyomingS2BImperiled (breeding)

Habitat

NatureServe records this woodpecker in hardwood woodland, mixed woodland, suburban areas and orchards, and riparian areas, which are the lands beside streams[13]. It likes open woodland with scattered trees, and also parks, gardens and farmed land[14]. It digs a nest hole in a live tree, a dead stub, a utility pole or a fencepost, and sometimes reuses an old hole[14]. Individual birds often come back to the same tree or cavity year after year[14].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[13]

Size, diet and lifespan

Adults are about 24 cm (9 in) long[15]. They weigh about 72 g[16]. They eat insects and other invertebrates, berries, nuts and sap, and also take the young and eggs of other birds[17]. One estimate puts the diet at 60% invertebrates, 20% seeds, 10% other vertebrates and 10% other plant material[18]. Clutches usually hold five eggs, and both parents incubate them for about 14 days[19]. The young leave the nest at about 27 days[19]. The longest recorded lifespan is 10 years, and the oldest known wild bird was at least 9 years 11 months old[20][4].

Trait Value
Typical length[15] 24 cm (9 in)
Typical adult weight[16] 72 g (2.5 oz)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[20] 10 years
Oldest known wild bird (banding)[4] 9 years 11 months
Litter or clutch size[21] 5
Gestation or incubation[22] 14 days
Female maturity[23] 365 days (about 1.0 years)
Food habits[24] Invertivore, Frugivore
Migration[25] non-migrant, local migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[18]

  • 60% invertebrates
  • 20% seeds
  • 10% other vertebrates
  • 10% other plant material

When to look for it

The Red-headed Woodpecker is active during the day[26]. NatureServe describes it as a non-migrant and local migrant, and populations can differ[25]. In the southeastern U.S. and Ohio, nesting usually starts in early May[19]. Observation records on GBIF peak in April, May and June, but they show when people look and report, not how many birds there are[27].

January: 80,966 recordsJanFebruary: 88,555 recordsFebMarch: 82,105 recordsMarApril: 168,581 recordsAprMay: 339,157 recordsMayJune: 155,049 recordsJunJuly: 124,088 recordsJulAugust: 129,236 recordsAugSeptember: 149,014 recordsSepOctober: 86,590 recordsOctNovember: 62,688 recordsNovDecember: 72,425 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[27].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January80,966
February88,555
March82,105
April168,581
May339,157
June155,049
July124,088
August129,236
September149,014
October86,590
November62,688
December72,425

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Red-headed Woodpecker as present in 113 park units[28]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 89 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Missouri[29]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Red-headed Woodpecker endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) globally[2].
Where does the Red-headed Woodpecker live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 41 US states and territories, including Ohio, Texas, Florida and New York[3].
What does the Red-headed Woodpecker eat?
It eats insects and other invertebrates, berries, nuts and sap, and sometimes the young and eggs of other birds[17].
How big is a Red-headed Woodpecker?
It is about 24 cm (9 in) long[15]. It weighs about 72 g[16].
How long does a Red-headed Woodpecker live?
The longest recorded lifespan is 10 years[20]. The oldest known wild bird was at least 9 years 11 months old[4].

Facts and sources

  1. Red-headed Woodpecker is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Red-headed Woodpecker: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Red-headed Woodpecker as native in 41 US states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Oldest known wild Red-headed Woodpecker from US and Canadian bird banding records: at least 9 years 11 months old (USGS Bird Banding Laboratory). USGS Bird Banding Lab
  5. Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a bird in the family Picidae, order Piciformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5B,N5N (Secure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. Red-headed Woodpecker is on the federal list of migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (50 CFR 10.13). eCFR, 50 CFR 10.13
  9. NatureServe notes on trend for Red-headed Woodpecker. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  11. NatureServe state ranks for Red-headed Woodpecker (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe notes on migration for Red-headed Woodpecker. NatureServe Explorer
  13. Habitat types NatureServe records for Red-headed Woodpecker: Woodland - hardwood, Woodland - mixed, Suburban/orchard, Riparian. NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on habitat for Red-headed Woodpecker. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 24 cm (9 in). NatureServe Explorer
  16. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 72 g (2.5 oz). NatureServe Explorer
  17. NatureServe notes on food for Red-headed Woodpecker. NatureServe Explorer
  18. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 60% invertebrates, 20% seeds, 10% other vertebrates, 10% other plant material. EltonTraits 1.0
  19. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Red-headed Woodpecker. NatureServe Explorer
  20. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 10 years. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  21. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 5. AnAge
  22. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 14 days. AnAge
  23. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 365 days (about 1.0 years). AnAge
  24. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Invertivore, Frugivore. NatureServe Explorer
  25. NatureServe migration category for Red-headed Woodpecker: non-migrant, local migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  26. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Diurnal. NatureServe Explorer
  27. GBIF observation records of Red-headed Woodpecker in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  28. NPSpecies park lists recording Red-headed Woodpecker as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies
  29. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Red-headed Woodpecker: Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Missouri. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.