Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusMelanerpes (Melanerpes Woodpeckers)
- SpeciesMelanerpes erythrocephalus (Red-headed Woodpecker)
About the Red-headed Woodpecker
The red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a mid-sized woodpecker found in temperate North America. Its breeding habitat is open country across southern Canada and the east-central United States. It is rated as least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List of Endangered species, having been down-listed from near threatened in 2018.
The red-headed woodpecker should not be confused with the red-bellied woodpecker, which is similar in size but has a vibrant orange-red crown and nape; the red-bellied woodpecker is named for the pale reddish blush of its lower belly and has a distinctly patterned black and white back rather than the solid black one of the red-headed woodpecker.
The English naturalist Mark Catesby described and illustrated the red-headed woodpecker in his book The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, which was published between 1729 and 1732. Catesby used the English name "The Red-headed Wood-pecker" and the Latin Picus capite toto rubro. In 1758, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae to its tenth edition. He included the red-headed woodpecker and coined... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Red-headed Woodpecker in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Red-headed Woodpecker in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-headed Woodpecker sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 155 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Red-headed Woodpecker in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Red-headed Woodpecker in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.