The Red-headed Woodpecker is a beautiful bird, known for its striking red head and black and white body. In this blog post, we’ll explore where to find this bird, the habitat it calls home, what it likes to eat, and some cool facts about this woodpecker species.
Basic Description
The Red-headed Woodpecker stands out from other woodpeckers thanks to its vibrant red head. The rest of its body is black and white with a distinctive pattern of black wings with large white patches on them. This medium-sized bird measures about nine inches long.
Where To Find This Bird
Typically found in the eastern United States from southern Canada down to Florida, the Red-headed Woodpecker prefers open forests or woodland edges near fields or pastures. Its range extends westward as far as Texas but becomes less common in the western half of the country.
Habitat
Red-headed Woodpeckers live in deciduous forests with large trees that have well-developed cavities suitable for nesting. They are also known to nest in orchards or individual trees surrounded by fields because these areas provide an ideal mix of open space and forest cover.
Food
This woodpecker species eats insects – including beetle larvae – fruits such as grapes and cherries during summer months when insects are scarce; acorns nuts when they’re available; small birds’ eggs if they can find them!
Cool Facts
– Unlike most other woodpeckers that feed primarily on tree bark-dwelling insects like ants or termites – which require significant physical effort – red-headed woodpeckers have been observed catching flying insects mid-air!
– Some sources suggest that these birds store their food year-round by wedging items like nuts into tree crevices.
– Red-headed Woodpeckers are known for their acrobatic flights as they swoop and dive around tree trunks while feeding or chasing other birds.
In conclusion, the Red-headed Woodpecker is a beautiful bird with a striking red head that can be found in open forests or woodland edges near fields or pastures. Its diet consists primarily of insects, but it will also consume fruits when available. With its unique habits of catching flying insects and storing food year-round by wedging them into tree crevices, this woodpecker species is both fascinating to watch and important for the ecosystem.
