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Bird

Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Lives in North Carolina all year and nests here. Found in all 100 counties, across 15 habitats.

Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 100 counties
Habitats
15

At a glance

Group
Birds
Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 100 counties
Habitats
15
Habitat models
Summer, Winter

Where it lives

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

Habitats in North Carolina 15

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

1 of 15

Floodplain and bottomland forests

fallen (uprooted) tree
SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Forest Modifier; Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier; Central Interior and Appalachian Floodplain Systems; Central Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems; Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest; South-Central Interior Small Stream and Riparian; South-Central Interior Large FloodplainNamed place / source context. Shown: Congaree Swamp National Monument floodplain forest, South Carolina; representative illustration, no exact viewpoint, a neighboring state.fallen (uprooted) tree, John Dawson, by1988. Public domain. Source record.

Forests and woodlands

Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
SummerSouthern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Loblolly Pine ModifierNamed place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Pine flatwoods

Georgia Pines
SummerCentral Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and FlatwoodsGeorge Inness, Georgia Pines (1890): tall, straight pines over an open, grassy floor in a south Georgia pine woods. Regional view: the painting does not name the exact site. Shown: Georgia pine woods (George Inness, 1890; site not named), a neighboring state.Georgia Pines, George Inness (1825-1894), 1890. Public domain. Source record.

Rich cove forests

Cove hardwood forest
SummerSouthern and Central Appalachian Cove ForestRegional / representative. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee; representative habitat composite, not a documented exact viewpointCove hardwood forest, Hynes, Robert 'Bob', by 2012. Public domain. Source record.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Black Mountainlabel QS:Len,"Black Mountain"
SummerDeveloped, Open Space; Pasture/Hay; Disturbed/Successional - Grass/Forb Regeneration; Utility Swath - Herbaceous; Ruderal Upland - Old FieldLyell Carr, Black Mountain: a pasture and hayfield with a log barn, rail fence and grazing cow below the Black Mountains. Black Mountain, North Carolina (Lyell E. Carr)Black Mountainlabel QS:Len,"Black Mountain", Lyell Carr, c. 1890-1912. Public domain. Source record.

Streams, rivers and their banks

Drawing, Autumn Landscape in North Carolina, 1865–70
SummerWinterCentral Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems; South-Central Interior Small Stream and RiparianFrederic Edwin Church, Autumn Landscape in North Carolina (1865-70): a boulder-strewn mountain river under autumn-coloured ridges. Regional view: the painting does not name the exact site. North Carolina mountains (Frederic Edwin Church, oil sketch 1865-70; Cooper Hewitt)Drawing, Autumn Landscape in North Carolina, 1865–70, Frederic Edwin Church, 1865-1870. Public domain. Source record.

Swamps

View, Dismal Swamp, North Carolina
SummerWinterCentral Interior and Appalachian Swamp Systems; Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Taxodium/Nyssa Modifier; Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested WetlandNamed place / source context. Great Dismal Swamp, North Carolina, as titled by Museum of Fine Arts Boston; nineteenth-century artistic interpretationView, Dismal Swamp, North Carolina, Regis Francois Gignoux, 1850. Public domain. Source record.

Depression ponds and limesinks

Shallow ponds in Coastal Plain depressions, such as limesinks and the ponds in some Carolina bays, that rise and fall with the seasons.

SummerAtlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland

Dry forests and woodlands

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

SummerWinterSouthern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest - Xeric; Central and Southern Appalachian Montane Oak Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry and Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Hardwood Modifier; Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland

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.

SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Oak Dominated Modifier

Moderately dry forests

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

SummerWinterSouthern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry and Dry-Mesic Oak Forest

Moist forests

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

SummerSouthern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood and Mixed Forest

Northern hardwood forests

High mountain forests of beech, yellow birch and sugar maple, including boulderfield forests.

SummerWinter

Pine savannas

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

SummerCentral Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods

Sandhills

Dry, deep-sand ridges with longleaf pine and turkey oak, kept open by fire.

SummerAtlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier; Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier
Other habitats in its models (131)

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

In North Carolina 2

  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland Summer.
  • Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Summer.
Elsewhere in the South (62)
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Summer.
  • Central and South Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Summer and winter.
  • 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 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.
  • Lower Mississippi River Dune Woodland and Forest Summer.
  • Lower Mississippi River Flatwoods Summer.
  • Mississippi River Alluvial Plain Dry-Mesic Loess Slope Forest Summer and winter.
  • Mississippi River Bottomland Depression Summer and winter.
  • Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Summer and winter.
  • Mississippi River Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
  • 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.
  • Red River Large Floodplain Forest 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.
  • 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 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 Large River Floodplain Forest Summer.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Summer.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • 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 Southern Calcareous Prairie Summer.
  • 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 (52)
  • Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Hardwood Summer and winter.
  • Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland 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.
  • 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.
  • Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
  • 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 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 - Mixed Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Heath Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer and winter.
  • 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 North Carolina

  • Year-round: nests here, in all 100 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 78

Plant genera in its diet records (13)
  • Zea Fruit and seeds. 5 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Toxicodendron Seeds. 3 diet records. 3 native plants in North Carolina
  • Cornus 2 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Helianthus 2 diet records. 16 native plants in North Carolina
  • Quercus 2 diet records. 31 native plants in North Carolina
  • Triticum 2 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Vitis 2 diet records. 2 native plants in North Carolina
  • Avena Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Fragaria Fruit. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in North Carolina
  • Malus Fruit. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in North Carolina
  • Morus 1 diet record. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Prunus Fruit. 1 diet record. 10 native plants in North Carolina
  • Rubus Fruit. 1 diet record. 11 native plants in North Carolina

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Also found in its main habitats

Its main habitats in North Carolina, 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 70

Plants 367

All of floodplain and bottomland forests in North Carolina

Dry forests and woodlands

Birds 53

Plants 217

All of dry forests and woodlands in North Carolina

Swamps

Birds 69

Plants 329

All of swamps in North Carolina

USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.

Sources