Species · BBS 2026 Release · 1966–2025

Red-headed Woodpecker Population Analysis

Picidae Forest birdsMelanerpes erythrocephalus

Red-headed Woodpecker has declined: down 36% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

-36%Since 1968

2,085Routes

59Years 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 2,085 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 68% by 2030 — from 1.3 in 2025 to a central estimate of 0.41 (95% range 0.00–1.0). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±71.3%, with 0% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-68%Change by 2030

0.41Projected 2030 index

0.00–1.095% range

±71.3%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
2026	0.48	1.1
2027	0.46	1.1
2028	0.44	1.1
2029	0.42	1.0
2030	0.41	1.0

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	-1%	1968	106
Arkansas	-52%	1969	59
Colorado	-48%	1973	27
Connecticut	insufficient data	n/a	1
Delaware	+269%	1984	7
Florida	+20%	1968	91
Georgia	-9%	1968	106
Illinois	-50%	1968	105
Indiana	-35%	1968	67
Iowa	-57%	1969	39
Kansas	-31%	1969	66
Kentucky	+151%	1968	52
Louisiana	-62%	1969	74
Maryland	42×	1968	51
Michigan	-65%	1968	75
Minnesota	-84%	1969	74
Mississippi	+14%	1968	73
Missouri	-31%	1969	90
Montana	+20%	1970	20
Nebraska	-7%	1969	76
New Jersey	+85%	1982	7
New Mexico	+179%	1977	17
New York	-79%	1968	40
North Carolina	-28%	1968	82
North Dakota	-20%	1969	37
Ohio	-5%	1968	79
Oklahoma	-12%	1969	67
Pennsylvania	+47%	1968	67
South Carolina	+19%	1968	48
South Dakota	+60%	1969	58
Tennessee	+111%	1968	43
Texas	-68%	1969	83
Vermont	insufficient data	n/a	1
Virginia	+205%	1969	60
West Virginia	+170%	1974	22
Wisconsin	-72%	1968	84
Wyoming	-64%	1970	31

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	-45%	1969	92
Boreal Hardwood Transition	-42%	1969	72
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain	+6%	1968	53
Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau	-79%	1980	6
Badlands and Prairies	+152%	1969	90
Shortgrass Prairie	+28%	1969	74
Central Mixed Grass Prairie	-15%	1969	114
Oaks and Prairies	-88%	1969	46
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie	-37%	1968	275
Prairie Hardwood Transition	-71%	1968	151
Central Hardwoods	+171%	1968	153
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas	-38%	1969	108
Mississippi Alluvial Valley	-47%	1968	62
Southeastern Coastal Plain	+21%	1968	341
Appalachian Mountains	+72%	1968	189
Piedmont	+741%	1968	133
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast	48×	1970	53
Peninsular Florida	-54%	1968	49
Gulf Coastal Prairie	-83%	1969	13

Red-headed Woodpecker Conservation Status

Our route-weighted index shows it down about 36% since 1968.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.