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Bird

Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Lives in Louisiana all year and nests here. Found in all 64 parishes, across 9 habitats.

Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 64 parishes
Habitats
9

At a glance

Group
Birds
Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 64 parishes
Habitats
9
Habitat models
Summer, Winter

Where it lives

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

Habitats in Louisiana 9

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

1 of 9

Swamps

The Land of Evangeline
SummerWinterWest Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp; 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. Louisiana bayou country (Meeker, The Land of Evangeline, 1874)The Land of Evangeline, Joseph Rusling Meeker, 1874. Public domain. Source record.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

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

SummerWinterMississippi River Riparian Forest; Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest; West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest; Red River Large Floodplain Forest; Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest

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.

SummerWinterEast Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loblolly-Hardwood Flatwoods; West 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.

SummerWinterMississippi River Alluvial Plain Dry-Mesic Loess Slope Forest

Moist forests

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

SummerWinterEast Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loess Bluff Forest; West Gulf Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest; East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Mesic Slope Forest

Pine flatwoods

Flat, sandy Coastal Plain pine woodlands, wetter than sandhills and denser than savannas.

SummerEast Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier; West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods; East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods

Pine savannas

Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.

SummerWest Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods

Prairies and grasslands

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

SummerWest 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
Other habitats in its models (141)

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

In Louisiana 4

  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Chenier and Upper Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Summer.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Forest Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Sandhill Oak and Shortleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Summer.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Summer.
Elsewhere in the South (58)
  • 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.
  • Central Interior Highlands Calcareous Glade and Barrens Summer.
  • Central Interior Highlands Dry Acidic Glade and Barrens Summer.
  • Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Limestone Forest 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-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.
  • Lower Mississippi River Dune Woodland and Forest Summer.
  • Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Summer.
  • Ouachita Montane Oak Forest Summer.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland Summer and winter.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Summer and winter.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Mesic Hardwood Forest Summer.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Summer.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
  • 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 Large Floodplain Summer.
  • South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest Summer and winter.
  • South-Central Interior Small Stream and Riparian 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 Crowley's Ridge Mesic Loess Slope Forest 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 Northern Calcareous Prairie 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 (64)
  • Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Hardwood Summer and winter.
  • Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland Summer.
  • 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.
  • Central Interior and Appalachian Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
  • Central Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems Summer and winter.
  • Central Interior and Appalachian Swamp Systems Summer and winter.
  • 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 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 - Forest Modifier 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 Louisiana

  • Year-round: nests here, in all 64 parishes.

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 74

Plant genera in its diet records (13)
  • Zea Fruit and seeds. 5 diet records. 0 native plants in Louisiana
  • Toxicodendron Seeds. 3 diet records. 3 native plants in Louisiana
  • Cornus 2 diet records. 1 native plant in Louisiana
  • Helianthus 2 diet records. 16 native plants in Louisiana
  • Quercus 2 diet records. 31 native plants in Louisiana
  • Triticum 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Louisiana
  • Vitis 2 diet records. 7 native plants in Louisiana
  • Avena Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
  • Fragaria Fruit. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in Louisiana
  • Malus Fruit. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Louisiana
  • Morus 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Louisiana
  • Prunus Fruit. 1 diet record. 8 native plants in Louisiana
  • Rubus Fruit. 1 diet record. 5 native plants in Louisiana

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Also found in its main habitats

Its main habitats in Louisiana, 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.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Birds 124

Plants 267

All of floodplain and bottomland forests in Louisiana

Hardwood and oak flatwoods

Birds 108

Plants 11

All of hardwood and oak flatwoods in Louisiana

Swamps

Birds 135

Plants 237

All of swamps in Louisiana

USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.

Sources