How Does a Redheaded Woodpecker Feed Their Babies
Red-headed Woodpecker - Habits
The Red-headed Woodpecker sometimes known as Flag Bird, is probably the most known woodpecker by non birdwatchers due to an old Saturday morning cartoon show.
Often its personality matches its striking coloration as this bird can get quite aggressive toward other woodpeckers or visitors that get too close to a nest tree or food cache.
While not an extremely rare bird, it's becoming less common and some say that trend is going to continue especially due to lost habitat.
Description
Red-headed
Measuring about 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 inches long this is the only woodpecker with an all red head. The body and wings patterned with black and white.
In flight, you'll notice the white rump and white inner trailing half of the wings. Female Red-headed Woodpecker look the same as the males.
Juveniles will have a brown head, black back with the white wing patches and buff white belly.
Listen to Red-headed Woodpecker Call
You'll find these birds in groves, open woodlands, farmlands, suburbs, and shade trees. Common bird east of the Rockies.
Even though Red-headed Woodpeckers are not a rare bird, it can be difficult to find them in their habitat.
Feeding Habits
These birds spend a great deal of their time flycatching from exposed perches.
Red-headed Woodpeckers will eat insects, spiders, earthworms, mice, nuts, berries and corn.
You can attract these bird to your feeders by providing black oil sunflower seeds and by placing suet in your suet feeders
These Woodpeckers have the ability to catch insects in midair as well as foraging on leaves and on the ground.
You'll find that they cache pieces of nuts, acorns, and even insects, in small cavities for use during nonbreeding season.
Red-headed Woodpecker
They will defend these caches from other Woodpeckers, Jays, and Crows.
Where They Live
There is concern about the declining numbers of these birds especially in the Northeast. One cause of their decline is due to competition for nest holes from starlings and other cavity nesters.
Another is due to where they live, primarily open forest, parks with scattered trees and orchards next to forested areas.
Making use of tall dead trees or large dead limbs that are often removed for firewood or to reduce the hazard of fire adds to the decline in numbers.
Habitat destroyed for urban developement is another cause in reduced numbers.
Add a Bird House for Your Woodpeckers
To these birds dead wood is a necessity for life. You can help by leaving some dead trees on your property and placing properly constructed bird houses in your backyard.
Mating Habits
When breeding season arrives, (late April) the males beging pecking faster and louder in an effort to attract a mate.
If a female is attracted to the sound and the males territory, she will choose to stay and nest with the male.
These pair bonds may last for several years or they may even mate for life.
Nesting Habits
While both birds help build the nest the male does most of the excavation.
Most other woodpeckers build new nest each season but the Red-headed may reuse a nest site several times.
These nest cavities can be 6 to 18 inches deep and anywhere from 5 to 80 feet above ground. Egg laying can begin as early as April and run through July.
The female lays 4 to 7 white eggs. Both male and female share incubation which last about 14 days. The young leave the nest in about 30 days after the eggs hatch.
The young may stay in their parents territory anywhere from a week to 2 months before the adults chase them from their territory.
Cavity Nest
Migratory Habits
Northern populations of the Red-headed Woodpecker are migratory and concentrate in woods with abundant acorns. Most other areas, Red-headed Woodpeckers are permanent residents.
Kinds of Woodpeckers
Perfect Gift Idea - Heated Bird Baths
Source: https://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Red-Headed_Woodpecker.html
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