A Rare site for me!
Seen Red Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) today, probably migrating. That's rare site in my neck of the woods. I wonder if the female's are the same color as the males? My bird book don't show Females. Anyway, what a beautiful Bird. I only got to observe him for about 4 min. I wish he would of found my Suet feeder.
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John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
RC
Red headed woodpeckers are a fine sight.
I'm a little confused as I see them in Forest Park, St. Louis, where the forestry people are wise to leave many dead trees, which are riddled with woodpecker holes. But, the park is swimming in starlings, and I had read that starlings frequently disrupt new woodpecker nests. Maybe if people leave enough dead trees with holes, the starlings prefer abandoned cavities.
John Miller,
St. Louis, Mo
Red headed woodpeckers are a fine sight.
I'm a little confused as I see them in Forest Park, St. Louis, where the forestry people are wise to leave many dead trees, which are riddled with woodpecker holes. But, the park is swimming in starlings, and I had read that starlings frequently disrupt new woodpecker nests. Maybe if people leave enough dead trees with holes, the starlings prefer abandoned cavities.
John Miller,
St. Louis, Mo
Last edited by John Miller on Mon Oct 10, 2005 7:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
John that's the problem around my area too many starlings are driving them out of the suburbs. They are around, but further out in unpopulated areas where starlings are less likely. I use to see them all the time when I was fishing. don't fish now so I rarely see them.
rickluc, thanks I suspected the females looked just like the males, but didn't know for sure. Usually my bird book will show difference in Males vs. females.
rickluc, thanks I suspected the females looked just like the males, but didn't know for sure. Usually my bird book will show difference in Males vs. females.
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Guest
RC, You're so lucky to have gotten to see one...I wish I could say the same. I've never ever in my entire life (as far as I know) seen a red-headed woodpecker. I live right next to a woods and only half a mile in front of a mountain, but that doesn't seem to matter. We have pileateds, downy, hairy, flickers, and red-bellied, but never red-headed. They're supposed to be indigenous to our state, but if there are any up here, they must be few and far between. I've only seen pictures of them, which looked beautiful.
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Donnie Hurdt MN
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 11:14 pm
- Location: North Prairie, MN
There have been Red Heads nesting in our yard for the past several years now.
PMCA member and Martin fanatic....
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows.
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest
2019 Same old story................
2011 A pair of subbies fledged three young but none returned in 2012
2015 One Pair of subbies came and stayed a few nits but got chased away by Bluebirds and Tree swallows.
2017 0ne pair of subbies nested and fledged 4 young
2018 Tree Swallows AGAIN chased away any martins that wanted to nest
2019 Same old story................
cathy, I suspect Mr. Starling at work up there too . You might try finding nice lake with old Hard wood timber (oaks, walnuts, sycamore, ect...) about 10 miles out of town. 
I think they are just about ran out of suburbia most everywhere. I too have Downy's, Red bellies that visit my suet feeder daily, and migrating Northern Flicker's digging for grubs. Have also seen Pileated around on occasions. Red headed are rarely seen unless you go out in the Country a few miles. I like the calls the Pileated makes I could just imagine what an Ivory Billed would sound like! Rc
dhurdtMn: I use to see them all Red headed time in Mo. when I was a kid. But, I didn't live close to a big city. I guess you don't know what your missing till it's gone. or nearly gone. Rc
. You might try finding nice lake with old Hard wood timber (oaks, walnuts, sycamore, ect...) about 10 miles out of town. I think they are just about ran out of suburbia most everywhere. I too have Downy's, Red bellies that visit my suet feeder daily, and migrating Northern Flicker's digging for grubs. Have also seen Pileated around on occasions. Red headed are rarely seen unless you go out in the Country a few miles. I like the calls the Pileated makes I could just imagine what an Ivory Billed would sound like! RcdhurdtMn: I use to see them all Red headed time in Mo. when I was a kid. But, I didn't live close to a big city. I guess you don't know what your missing till it's gone. or nearly gone. Rc
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Guest
RC, Sorry I just saw your comment today (don't get on as much as I used to). Yes, the darn starlings seem to be taking over the country, huh? Just when I thought they wouldn't hang around here anymore, I've heard some more lately now that the weather has gotten cooler. Maybe they remember from before that I put pie dough out for the birds, which they love. I made an upside-down suet feeder though to put it in, so I'd just like to see them try to get it in that!
I've always considered myself as being in a rural area, but with the farmers getting bought out by developers, more and more of the land is being taken up with houses. It's a sad sight to see, as I know our wildlife is being forced to squeeze into less and less space. Probably if red-headed woodpeckers ever were here, it's probably getting too suburbanized for them even around this area. I'm wondering if I'll ever see one! I know what you mean about the call of the Pileated...it sounds almost prehistoric, doesn't it? I really like them and all the other woodpeckers. Of course, I like almost any bird...not the two undesireables though.
I've always considered myself as being in a rural area, but with the farmers getting bought out by developers, more and more of the land is being taken up with houses. It's a sad sight to see, as I know our wildlife is being forced to squeeze into less and less space. Probably if red-headed woodpeckers ever were here, it's probably getting too suburbanized for them even around this area. I'm wondering if I'll ever see one! I know what you mean about the call of the Pileated...it sounds almost prehistoric, doesn't it? I really like them and all the other woodpeckers. Of course, I like almost any bird...not the two undesireables though.