Red-headed Woodpeckers are scattered across New York with larger populations along the Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, and lower Hudson Valley. Their red-heads and and large white spots on their wings make them hard to mistake when seen.
Where to look for Red-headed Woodpecker in the final year of the Atlas
Below is a map highlighting atlas priority blocks missing Probable or Confirmed codes for Red-headed Woodpecker, but where the NY Natural Heritage Program has records of Red-headed Woodpecker breeding in the past. Keep an eye (and ear!) out in these blocks for Red-headed Woodpecker breeding behaviors! (Tip: Click on the icon in the upper right of the map to make the map full size and zoom in to your area.)
Behaviors to Look For
Red-headed Woodpeckers are cavity nesters and cavity builders so look for them Building a Cavity (B) in dead trees, dead branches on a live tree, and rarely in a live tree. The building process typically takes them 12-27 days. Males do most of the cavity excavation and females sometimes show their approval of the cavity by tapping the outside as the male works. Their cavities range from 2-24 meters above the ground, but are usually 7-12 meters high.
Red-headed Woodpeckers make a wide array of loud vocalizations, sometimes sounding similar to Red-bellied Woodpeckers. However, the drumming pattern can be distinguished from other woodpeckers by cadence (or witnessed), and drumming should be coded as S since it is their method of territorial and mate communication.
Like many woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpecker nestlings can be quite noisy when begging for food. If you happen to hear them begging as parents return to the cavity then you have a Nest with Young (NY). Red-headed Woodpeckers will Carry Food (CF) to the nest, but they will also Carry Fecal Sacs (CF) away from the nest to keep the nest clean for their young, so keep an eye on their bills if you think they may be actively caring for young.