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Bird

Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Lives in West Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 55 counties, across 9 habitats.

Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 55 counties
Habitats
9

At a glance

Group
Birds
Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 55 counties
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 West Virginia 9

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

1 of 9

Moist forests

Woods Scene
SummerWinterSouthern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic ForestHarvey Joiner, Woods Scene: tall beeches in a moist Kentucky woodland, light falling through a closed canopy onto a damp forest floor. Regional view: the painting does not name the exact site. Shown: Kentucky beech woods (Harvey Joiner, Louisville painter of Kentucky beech forests; the painting does not name the site), a neighboring state.Woods Scene, Harvey Joiner, c. 1880-1920. Public domain. Source record.

Swamps

The Chickahominy Swamp LCCN2004661405
SummerWinterCentral Interior and Appalachian Swamp SystemsWilliam McIlvaine, The Chickahominy Swamp (1862): wind-tossed swamp trees standing in dark water under a storm. Shown: Chickahominy Swamp, Virginia, a neighboring state.The Chickahominy Swamp LCCN2004661405, William McIlvaine (1813-1867), 1862. Public domain. Source record.

Dry forests and woodlands

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

SummerWinterSouthern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest - Xeric; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Hardwood; Central and Southern Appalachian Montane Oak Forest; Central Appalachian Oak and Pine Forest; Central Appalachian Pine-Oak Rocky Woodland

Floodplain and bottomland forests

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

SummerWinterCentral Appalachian Floodplain - Forest Modifier; Central Appalachian Riparian - Forest Modifier; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Forest Modifier; Central Interior and Appalachian Floodplain Systems; Central Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems; South-Central Interior Small Stream and Riparian; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain

Hemlock forests

Shady, evergreen forests of eastern or Carolina hemlock, often along rocky mountain streams and in gorges.

SummerWinterAppalachian Hemlock-Hardwood Forest

Moderately dry forests

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

SummerWinterNortheastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Southern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest

Rich cove forests

Sheltered, moist mountain hollows and lower slopes with deep, fertile soil.

SummerSouthern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest

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 (143)

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

Elsewhere in the South (73)
  • 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 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 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.
  • Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland Summer.
  • 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 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 (4)
  • Central Appalachian Alkaline Glade and Woodland Summer.
  • North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods 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 (59)
  • 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.
  • 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 - 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 West Virginia

  • Year-round: nests here, in all 55 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 84

Plant genera in its diet records (13)
  • Zea Fruit and seeds. 5 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
  • Toxicodendron Seeds. 3 diet records. 5 native plants in West Virginia
  • Cornus 2 diet records. 5 native plants in West Virginia
  • Helianthus 2 diet records. 13 native plants in West Virginia
  • Quercus 2 diet records. 20 native plants in West Virginia
  • Triticum 2 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
  • Vitis 2 diet records. 9 native plants in West Virginia
  • Avena Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
  • Fragaria Fruit. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in West Virginia
  • Malus Fruit. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in West Virginia
  • Morus 1 diet record. 1 native plant in West Virginia
  • Prunus Fruit. 1 diet record. 10 native plants in West Virginia
  • Rubus Fruit. 1 diet record. 17 native plants in West Virginia

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Also found in its main habitats

Its main habitats in West Virginia, 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.

Dry forests and woodlands

Birds 77

Plants 192

All of dry forests and woodlands in West Virginia

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Birds 92

Plants 303

All of floodplain and bottomland forests in West Virginia

Moderately dry forests

Birds 55

Plants 22

All of moderately dry forests in West Virginia

USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.

Sources