The red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a “WOW” bird. True to its name, the entire head is fire-engine red from crown to throat. The showy dome contrasts with a black back and tail, black wings with large white patches and a white belly. These woodpeckers are omnivorous, eating a wide variety of insects, fruit and seeds. Occasionally, they grab mice, raid nests for eggs and chicks, and pounce on smaller birds. They often act like flycatchers, flying out from a perch to grab a bug and then returning. During winter, when the insect supply is limited, they turn to acorns, beechnuts and pecans. Unfortunately, the red-headed woodpecker population has declined by an estimated 70 percent in the last 50 years. Once common throughout the eastern United States, in the Triad it has become a rare treat seen occasionally during non-breeding season and almost never in summer.
The red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a “WOW” bird. True to its name, the entire head is fire-engine red from crown to throat. The showy dome contrasts with a black back and tail, black wings with large white patches and a white belly. These woodpeckers are omnivorous, eating a wide variety of insects, fruit and seeds. Occasionally, they grab mice, raid nests for eggs and chicks, and pounce on smaller birds. They often act like flycatchers, flying out from a perch to grab a bug and then returning. During winter, when the insect supply is limited, they turn to acorns, beechnuts and pecans. Unfortunately, the red-headed woodpecker population has declined by an estimated 70 percent in the last 50 years. Once common throughout the eastern United States, in the Triad it has become a rare treat seen occasionally during non-breeding season and almost never in summer.
