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Bird

Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Lives in Arkansas all year and nests here. Found in all 75 counties, across 12 habitats.

Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 75 counties
Habitats
12

At a glance

Group
Birds
Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 75 counties
Habitats
12
Habitat models
Summer, Winter

Where it lives

The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.

Habitats in Arkansas 12

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 12

Swamps

The Land of Evangeline
SummerWinterCentral Interior and Appalachian Swamp Systems; Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier; Mississippi River Bottomland DepressionJoseph Rusling Meeker, The Land of Evangeline (1874): moss-hung trees over a still bayou in Louisiana swamp forest. Regional view: the painting does not name the exact site. Shown: Louisiana bayou country (Meeker, The Land of Evangeline, 1874), a neighboring state.The Land of Evangeline, Joseph Rusling Meeker, 1874. Public domain. Source record.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

SummerWinterOzark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland; Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

SummerWinterSouth-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Forest Modifier; Central Interior and Appalachian Floodplain Systems; Central Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems; Mississippi River Riparian Forest; Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest; West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest; Red River Large Floodplain Forest; South-Central Interior Small Stream and Riparian; Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain; Ozark-Ouachita Riparian

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

SummerWinterWest Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Forest

Glades, barrens and outcrops on limestone

Open, thin-soil openings and rock on limestone, dolomite or other lime-rich rock, including cedar glades.

SummerCentral Interior Highlands Calcareous Glade and Barrens

Granite and other acidic rock outcrops

Bare or thin-soil rock on granite, gneiss, sandstone, quartzite and similar acidic rock, including granite flatrocks and domes.

SummerCentral Interior Highlands Dry Acidic Glade and Barrens

Hardwood and oak flatwoods

Flat, poorly drained uplands and terraces with oaks, sweetgum and sometimes loblolly pine, wet in winter and dry in summer, but neither a floodplain nor a swamp.

SummerWinterWest Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Flatwoods; Lower Mississippi River Flatwoods; West Gulf Coastal Plain Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Flatwoods

Moderately dry forests

Forests between dry and moist, often oak-hickory on slopes.

SummerWinterOzark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Mississippi River Alluvial Plain Dry-Mesic Loess Slope Forest

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

SummerWinterSouthern Crowley's Ridge Mesic Loess Slope Forest; West Gulf Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest; Ozark-Ouachita Mesic Hardwood Forest

Prairies and grasslands

Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.

SummerArkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland; West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie; West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

SummerDeveloped, Open Space; Pasture/Hay; Disturbed/Successional - Grass/Forb Regeneration; Utility Swath - Herbaceous; Ruderal Upland - Old Field

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

SummerWinterCentral Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems; South-Central Interior Small Stream and Riparian
Other habitats in its models (131)

Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Arkansas. Those recorded in Arkansas first, the rest by region.

In Arkansas 4

  • Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
  • Lower Mississippi River Dune Woodland and Forest Summer.
  • Ouachita Montane Oak Forest Summer.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Sandhill Oak and Shortleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Summer.
Elsewhere in the South (52)
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry and Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood and Mixed Forest Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland Summer.
  • Central and South Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
  • Central and Southern Appalachian Montane Oak Forest Summer and winter.
  • Central and Southern Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest Summer and winter.
  • Central Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Summer.
  • Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Limestone Forest Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Bluff Forest Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Mesic Hardwood Forest Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loblolly-Hardwood Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loess Bluff Forest Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Mesic Slope Forest Summer.
  • East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Summer and winter.
  • East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
  • Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland Summer.
  • Florida Dry Prairie Summer.
  • Florida Peninsula Inland Scrub Summer.
  • Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Summer.
  • Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Summer.
  • Ridge and Valley Calcareous Valley Bottom Glade and Woodland Summer.
  • South Florida Bayhead Swamp Winter.
  • South Florida Pine Flatwoods Summer.
  • South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Summer.
  • South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest Summer and winter.
  • Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland Summer.
  • Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest Summer.
  • Southern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Hydric Hammock Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Oak Dome and Hammock Summer.
  • Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Summer and winter.
  • Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Summer.
  • Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest Summer.
  • Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest Summer.
  • Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Chenier and Upper Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Summer.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Summer.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Summer.
Northeast (8)
  • Appalachian Hemlock-Hardwood Forest Summer and winter.
  • Central Appalachian Alkaline Glade and Woodland Summer.
  • Central Appalachian Oak and Pine Forest Summer and winter.
  • Central Appalachian Pine-Oak Rocky Woodland Summer and winter.
  • North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Summer and winter.
  • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest Summer.
  • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry Hardwood Forest Summer and winter.
Midwest (7)
  • Central Mixedgrass Prairie Summer.
  • North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest Summer and winter.
  • North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
  • North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
  • North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest Summer and winter.
  • North-Central Interior Oak Savanna Summer and winter.
  • North-Central Oak Barrens Summer.
Land cover and other classes (60)
  • Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Hardwood Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested Wetland Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-Line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Oak Dominated Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Taxodium/Nyssa Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Central Appalachian Floodplain - Forest Modifier Summer.
  • Central Appalachian Riparian - Forest Modifier Summer.
  • Developed, Low Intensity Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Woodland Modifier Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest - Hardwood Modifier Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Plain Dry Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Herbaceous Modifier Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Summer.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Hardwood Modifier Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Juniper Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
  • Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer.
  • Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Summer.
  • Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Open Understory Modifier Summer.
  • Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Summer.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Summer.
  • Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest-Hardwood Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Orchards Vineyards and Other High Structure Agriculture Summer.
  • Recently Burned Summer.
  • Recently Burned Forest Summer.
  • Recently Burned Grassland Summer.
  • Recently Logged Areas Summer.
  • South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer.
  • Southern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest - Xeric Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Bay/Gum Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Clethra Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Nupea Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Pine Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Taxodium Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Hardwood Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Loblolly Pine Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Heath Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest - Pine modifier Summer.
  • Tamaulipan Riparian Systems Summer.
  • Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Winter.
  • Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer.
  • The model notes avoidance of dense, continuous forest.

All habitats

Seasons in Arkansas

  • Year-round: nests here, in all 75 counties.

Food plants

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Plants matched by genus.

Native plants in these genera 91

Plant genera in its diet records (13)
  • Zea Fruit and seeds. 5 diet records. 0 native plants in Arkansas
  • Toxicodendron Seeds. 3 diet records. 2 native plants in Arkansas
  • Cornus 2 diet records. 4 native plants in Arkansas
  • Helianthus 2 diet records. 15 native plants in Arkansas
  • Quercus 2 diet records. 31 native plants in Arkansas
  • Triticum 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Arkansas
  • Vitis 2 diet records. 12 native plants in Arkansas
  • Avena Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Arkansas
  • Fragaria Fruit. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in Arkansas
  • Malus Fruit. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Arkansas
  • Morus 1 diet record. 1 native plant in Arkansas
  • Prunus Fruit. 1 diet record. 13 native plants in Arkansas
  • Rubus Fruit. 1 diet record. 9 native plants in Arkansas

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Also found in its main habitats

Its main habitats in Arkansas, by how much of its habitat model each one is, with the birds most characteristic of each and the plants that grow wild there. Shared habitat, not food.

Red-headed Woodpecker uses many habitats in Arkansas; these are its 3 most characteristic.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Birds 77

Plants 313

All of floodplain and bottomland forests in Arkansas

Swamps

Birds 63

Plants 223

All of swamps in Arkansas

Hardwood and oak flatwoods

Birds 33

Plants 15

All of hardwood and oak flatwoods in Arkansas

USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.

Sources