Bird Finder for November 12: Red-headed Woodpecker

by Andy Griswold, EcoTravel Director
This almost unmistakable bird is more commonly found to our west and south but this year there have been a number of sightings in Connecticut and surrounding states. The questions may be: is this species expanding its range, just having to go further afield in search of food or taking advantage of our abundant acorn supply this year?

What it looks like: This boldly, contrasting plumaged species is notable for its scarlet red head, pure white body, and jet black wings with white secondaries, as if dressed for a formal occasion. Most sightings in Connecticut are of young birds whose patterning is similar to the adult but differing in having brown head color. The lower back in all plumages appears white and is a distinctive field mark.

Where to find it: Over the last week and weekend there have been a few sightings in Connecticut including at Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, and Lighthouse Point in East Haven. This bird could be found almost anywhere throughout our state where there are open forests with little understory. Beaver swamps are a good place to look as are along tree rows near open field.

How to find it: In many cases you will hear this bird before you see it, its call described as a shrill, hoarse tchur, like a Red-bellied Woodpecker’s but less vibrant and variable.

 

What if it isn’t there: In all habitats where you will find Red-headed Woodpecker other woodpecker species are abundant, including our largest, the Pileated Woodpecker, as well as Red-bellied Woodpecker and perhaps Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

 

Conservation status: Red-headed Woodpecker populations have declined significantly over the last 50 years due to habitat loss and changes in available food supply; 70 percent according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Dependent on nut crops produced by mature forest, the start of the  bird’s decline can be tracked back to the blight affecting American Chestnut in the early 1900s. In part, historically there has been a decline associated with trapping of beavers and the loss of associated beaver pond habitat.