Tag Archives: red headed woodpecker nc

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Red-headed Woodpecker in central NC

By Sally Siko

North Carolina is home to several species of beautiful woodpeckers.
Of all of them my very favorite is the Red-headed.
I spotted this handsome fellow while Birding at the Weymouth Wood Sandhills preserve this past weekend near Pinehurst NC.


My friends and I enjoyed several minutes watching the bird fly from limb to limb burrowing into the wood for insects in between stops to grab a sunflower seed or two from a nearby feeder or hunting for a six legged snack in the pine needles below.
It was really cool to catch a few decent pics of this handsome species.
His bright crimson head was shining like a stoplight in the late morning sun.
Just gorgeous!



Red headed Woodpeckers are a year round resident of North Carolina and are found across the state from the mountains to the coast. During the spring through early autumn, they’re best spotted in stands of longleaf pines or in open wetland areas containing tall, dead trees. The pine woods here at the WWSP is the perfect habitat to find them.
Once winter arrives, the forest dwelling Red- heads move away from the pines and into the marshy/ swamp areas to spend the cooler months searching for a meal in stands of water logged dead trees.

The Red-headed Woodpecker may also be a regular visitor to your backyard feeder too.
To attract them, offer a variety of fruit and nut based suets as well as black oil sunflower seeds at your feeding station.
Though they are somewhat shyer than other species of woodpeckers (like Downys or Red-belly’s, if you’re consistent with keeping your feeders filled you’ll likely get to enjoy these lovely birds throughout the year.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Red-headed Woodpeckers in North Carolina

By Sally Siko

One of the most striking looking birds we’ve got here in North Carolina is the Red headed Woodpecker. They’ve got a bold black and white plumage combination paired with a cherry red head which sets them apart from any other species found in the state.



I happened to catch some good looks at several pairs of Red head’s while birding at the Pee Dee NWR and Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve in south central NC.
It was neat to watch them catching insects in midair then flying back to a hole in a dead tree to feed their young (or possibly to cache their catch)

Red headed Woodpeckers are a year round resident of North Carolina and are found across the state from the mountains to the coast. During the summertime months they’re best spotted in stands of longleaf pines or in open wetland areas containing tall, dead trees. The pond here at the Pee Dee NWR is the perfect habitat to find them.When winter arrives, the forest dwelling Red- heads move away from the pines and into the marshy/ swamp areas to join the summer families.

Photo by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

Red headed Woodpeckers at the Pee Dee NWR

One of the most striking looking birds we’ve got here in North Carolina is the Red headed Woodpecker. They’ve got a bold black and white plumage combination paired with a cherry red head which sets them apart from any other species found in the state.


I happened to catch some good looks at a pair of Red head’s while birding at the Pee Dee NWR last month. It was neat to watch them catching insects in midair then flying back to a hole in a dead tree to feed their young (or possibly to cache their catch).



Red headed Woodpeckers are a year round resident of North Carolina and are found across the state from the mountains to the coast. During the summertime months they’re best spotted in stands of longleaf pines or in open wetland areas containing tall, dead trees. The pond here at the Pee Dee NWR is the perfect habitat to find them.
When winter arrives, the forest dwelling Red- heads move away from the pines and into the marshy/ swamp areas to join the summer families.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

Red headed Woodpeckers at the Weymouth woods sandhills Preserve

There’s no question that the rockstar bird of the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve is the Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
Today though, I want to share a few photos of a handsome Red headed Woodpecker that I found while birding there this past week.

With that bold cherry red, ebony and white plumage glittering in the sun, these guys are gorgeous too see up close in person!
I was lucky to spend time photographing a pair of them hunting for a meal in the pines.



Red headed Woodpeckers are a year round resident of North Carolina. They are relatively common in the central part of the state and are best spotted in areas with stands of tall, dead trees or in long leaf pine forests.
I’ve had luck finding them regularly at Lake Betz and along the American Tobacco Trail (New Hope Olive Chapel Rd access) as well as here at the WWSP.

As is the case with other Woodpeckers, Red headed’s are cavity nesters. Using their bills dig out holes in the tree trunks, they’ll make their homes inside dead trees, rotten branches, stumps, in telephone poles, fences, and utility poles between 8 to 80 feet above the ground. They especially prefer habitats with very little ground cover below and even in swamps with groves of dead trees in standing water.

Although they aren’t a frequent backyard visitor, you can entice them to your feeders by offering suet and nuts. They especially adore peanuts and will make several trips from the trees to your feeders throughout the day if you offer up that treat.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

American Tobacco trail observations of the Red headed Woodpecker

I could sit for hours watching Red headed Woodpeckers forage in the trees on a sunny morning. The way the sunlight reflects off of their crimson heads is just gorgeous!

  • Red headed Woodpecker



Did you know that Red-headed Woodpeckers are dedicated omnivores?
Flying from tree to tree, they’re known to eat invertebrates, acorns, beechnuts, chestnuts, fruit, seeds, berries, corn, lizards, mice, eggs, and even the young of other birds!
The changing seasons have an effect on what they eat. During the spring and summer, they’ll hunt for insects and small animals. In the cooler months of the fall and winter, they’ll switch over to eating seeds and nuts.



Red headed Woodpeckers are one of the few species of bird that actually stores it’s food for later consumption. If you watch them long enough, you may observe them shoving insects, seeds and acorns under the bark and into the crevices of trees.
These handsome woodpeckers will fiercely defend their food stores from potential thieves, which include crows, blue jays, and other woodpeckers.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the @canonusa #5ds

Bird watching Videos, Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Birding video from the American tobacco trail North Carolina

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One of the best spots to find Red headed Woodpeckers is along the American Tobacco Trail in New Hill, N.C. With that cherry red head and that deep black plumage, these striking birds are one of my favorite species of woodpeckers. The Red-headed Woodpecker is a fiercely protective , vibrant bird that can be found over a large portion of the swamps, grasslands, and clearings throughout the United States. With a bright-red head, white underparts, and black backs, these feathered gems are easily identifiable whether they are deep in a forest or hanging out on trees coming up from the water. Photos & video by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty @canonusa #5Ds . . . . #birdnerd #birdsofinsta #birdsofinstagram #ncwildlife #birding #birdwatching #birdwatchers #bird #birds #ncbirding #ncbirds #ncbirdwatching #canonwildlife #northcarolinabirding #birdwatchingnc #northcarolinabirds #audubonsociety #birdoftheday #audubonnc #bestbirds #birders #birdwatchers #lovebirdsluvsbirds #redheadedwoodpecker #woodpecker

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Bird watching Videos, Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

In search of Red headed Woodpeckers: Birding on the Old Tobacco trail

One of the best spots to find Red headed Woodpeckers is along the American Tobacco Trail in New Hill, N.C. With that cherry red head and that deep black plumage, these striking birds are one of my favorite species of woodpeckers. Check out the video above to see some highlights from my trip there earlier this week.

Red headed Woodpecker

The Red-headed Woodpecker is a fiercely protective , vibrant bird that can be found over a large portion of the swamps, grasslands, and clearings throughout the United States. With a bright-red head, white underparts, and black backs, these feathered gems are easily identifiable whether they are deep in a forest or hanging out on trees coming up from the water.

Red-headed Woodpecker at the Old Tobacco Trail

These nomadic birds prefer to differ their breeding location year-after-year. However, even when not in breeding season, Red-headed Woodpeckers can be found nesting in dead trees and cavities in dead parts of living trees. Although both partners build a nest, the male woodpecker is the dominant craftsman. Speaking of mates, Red-headed Woodpeckers prefer to play “hide and seek” with potential partners as they dart around stumps, branches, and trees: once a mate is chosen, woodpeckers remain monogamous for a few consecutive years.

Red headed Woodpecker

There are also a few other interesting birds to be found along the American Tobacco Trail such as Green Herons, Mourning Doves, American Goldfinches, Northern Flickers, Red winged Blackbirds and Yellow billed Cuckoos.

Northern Flicker
Green Heron
Mourning Dove
American Goldfinch
Red winged Blackbird
Yellow billed Cuckoo

If you plan to visit the area, it’s best to arrive early as this trail can get very crowded with joggers and bikers after 9am. I’ve also got a trip planned for next month so if you’d like to come with me to see the Red-headed Woodpecker (and other cool birds) check out the link below!

Field Notes, Out There with the Expert, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Lake Betz Red-headed Woodpeckers

Made a trip out to Lake Betz this week in search of Red-headed Woodpeckers…
Was not disappointed because I spotted 4 of them within an hours time!
I was happy to see them but do wish I could have got some better photos as these birds were kinda far away from my vantage point.
Still, super glad to add them to my 2020 list.



In the autumn months, these gorgeous Woodpeckers can be found gathering acorns and other nuts, then storing their bounty in the cavities of bored out trees or by stuffing their food into the bark crevasses of tree trunks.


During the winter, these feisty woodpeckers will aggressively defend their caches against intruders (feathered or furry) that might steal their acorns.


When spring arrives, they’ll shift into on-the-fly insect catching for some of their diet and for feeding young. Interestingly, they are even known to raid the nests of other birds to prey on the chicks. (Something I never knew that Woodpeckers did before doing the research!)

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds