Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Red-headed Woodpecker

Picidae Forest birdsMelanerpes erythrocephalus

Red-headed Woodpecker has declined: down 42% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

-42%Since 1968

2,067Routes

58Years Surveyed

About the Red-headed Woodpecker

The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a North American member of the Woodpeckers (Picidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.

Size: 6–19.5 in long (15–50 cm) — a chisel-billed climber (typical for the family)
Habitat: Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
Diet: Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
Range: Recorded on 2,067 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 37 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
Family: Picidae · Forest birds

Notable Red-headed Woodpecker Trends

No notable trend signals for Red-headed Woodpecker. See the full index history below.

Red-headed Woodpecker Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Red-headed Woodpecker is projected to fall about 66% by 2029 — from 1.1 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.36 (95% range 0.00–0.95). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±69.1%, with 20% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-66%Change by 2029

0.36Projected 2029 index

0.00–0.9595% range

±69.1%Backtest error

Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.

Year	Projected index	95% high
2025	0.44	1.0
2026	0.42	1.0
2027	0.40	0.99
2028	0.38	0.97
2029	0.36	0.95

Where the Red-headed Woodpecker Is Detected

BBS routes recording Red-headed Woodpecker, sized by most recent count.

Red-headed Woodpecker Population Trend by State

Red-headed Woodpecker population trend by state.

Alabama	-4%	1968	106
Arkansas	-54%	1969	59
Colorado	-47%	1973	26
Connecticut	insufficient data	n/a	1
Delaware	+324%	1984	6
Florida	-8%	1968	90
Georgia	-6%	1968	106
Illinois	-56%	1968	105
Indiana	-44%	1968	67
Iowa	-61%	1969	39
Kansas	-38%	1969	66
Kentucky	+146%	1968	52
Louisiana	-62%	1969	73
Maryland	37×	1968	51
Michigan	-70%	1968	75
Minnesota	-88%	1969	71
Mississippi	+22%	1968	73
Missouri	-37%	1969	90
Montana	-32%	1970	18
Nebraska	-11%	1969	76
New Jersey	insufficient data	n/a	7
New Mexico	+136%	1977	16
New York	-79%	1968	40
North Carolina	-33%	1968	82
North Dakota	-30%	1969	36
Ohio	-8%	1968	79
Oklahoma	-21%	1969	67
Pennsylvania	+51%	1968	66
South Carolina	+21%	1968	47
South Dakota	+40%	1969	58
Tennessee	+101%	1968	43
Texas	-71%	1969	82
Vermont	insufficient data	n/a	1
Virginia	+192%	1969	59
West Virginia	+104%	1974	21
Wisconsin	-78%	1968	83
Wyoming	-68%	1970	30

Red-headed Woodpecker Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Red-headed Woodpecker population trend by Bird Conservation Region.

Prairie Potholes	-56%	1969	91
Boreal Hardwood Transition	-52%	1969	69
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain	-2%	1968	52
Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau	-79%	1980	6
Badlands and Prairies	+146%	1969	88
Shortgrass Prairie	-1%	1969	72
Central Mixed Grass Prairie	-20%	1969	114
Oaks and Prairies	-94%	1969	45
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie	-43%	1968	275
Prairie Hardwood Transition	-74%	1968	150
Central Hardwoods	+128%	1968	153
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas	-35%	1969	108
Mississippi Alluvial Valley	-45%	1968	62
Southeastern Coastal Plain	+15%	1968	341
Appalachian Mountains	+76%	1968	188
Piedmont	+658%	1968	131
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast	37×	1970	52
Peninsular Florida	-69%	1968	48
Gulf Coastal Prairie	-86%	1969	12

Red-headed Woodpecker Conservation Status

Our route-weighted index shows it down about 42% since 1968.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.