Red-headed Woodpecker Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesRed-headed Woodpecker
Adult
Medium-sized woodpecker with a large red head and a big chisel-like bill. The back is black with white wing patches. The belly is white and unstreaked. Sexes alike.
© Ryan Sanderson / Macaulay LibraryIndiana, January 27, 2020Juvenile
Juveniles have a brown head, a dingy belly, and a blackish brown back.
© John Sutton / Macaulay LibraryVermont, November 07, 2018Adult
Sometimes stores extra food, like this acorn, in caches by jamming the food item into the bark or wood of a tree.
© Matthew D. Medler / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, October 26, 2014Not all videos have sound
Adult
Adults have large red heads and a black-and-white body. Like other woodpeckers forages on tree trunks, but also catches insects in air.
© Ryan Sanderson / Macaulay LibraryIndiana, January 27, 2020Adult
In flight, adult has large white patches on the inner wings, contrasting with the black outer wings.
© Joshua Vandermeulen / Macaulay LibraryOntario, May 09, 2015Immature
As immatures molt into adult plumage they can have mixed brown and red on the head and show black bars in the white wing patches.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryArkansas, April 01, 2005Not all videos have sound
Juvenile
In flight, juvenile also shows large white wing patches, but with two black bars across them.
© Samuel Paul Galick / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, January 02, 2016Juvenile
Juveniles have a brown head, but start acquiring adult coloration in February.
© David Turgeon / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, February 11, 2017Juvenile
Clings to fence posts either to probe for food or as a perch from which to sally out after flying insects. Young birds are mostly brownish with black bars on the white wing patches.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryColorado, August 01, 1997Not all videos have sound
Adult
Found in pine savannas and other open forests with clear understories. Nests in holes in trees.
© Susan Disher / Macaulay LibrarySouth Dakota, June 17, 2014Adult
Doesn't always forage in tree bark. Often catches flying insects in midair, flycatcher style, and returns to the same or a nearby perch.
© Benjamin Clock / Macaulay LibraryNew York, September 13, 2011Not all videos have sound
Similar SpeciesRed-bellied Woodpecker
Male
The back on Red-belled Woodpeckers is barred black and white unlike the solid black back on Red-headed Woodpecker. They also have a white face not red like the Red-headed Woodpecker.
© Carl Giometti 🍹 / Macaulay LibraryIllinois, March 04, 2017Similar SpeciesGolden-fronted Woodpecker
Male (Northern)
The back on Golden-fronted Woodpeckers is barred black and white unlike the solid black back on Red-headed Woodpecker.
© Becca Engdahl / Macaulay LibraryTexas, March 17, 2017Similar SpeciesPileated Woodpecker
Male
Pileated Woodpeckers are larger than Red-headed Woodpeckers with a red crest and dark back. They also lack the white wing patches seen on the folded wings of Red-headed Woodpeckers.
© David Turgeon / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, February 09, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Woodpeckers(Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae)
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