Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
(c) Pierrette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pierrette · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
BirdsIn Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Red-headed Woodpecker in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Family
Picidae

Conservation status

Species of concern in Ohio (Ohio Division of Wildlife, June 2026)

Ohio's Division of Wildlife names it as one that might become threatened in Ohio under continued or increased stress, or one it has some concern for but too little information to judge. It is not listed as endangered or threatened.

Near Cuyahoga County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 0 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 88. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (0)
  • Within its mapped range (11)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (60)
  • Recorded, season not shown (17)
  • Season shown (0)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Range: USGS Gap Analysis Project, Species Range Maps CONUS_2001 (2018). Show as a table
Counties as a table
Red-headed Woodpecker by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecordsIn mapped range
Adams CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Athens CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Auglaize CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Brown County20 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Butler County25 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Clark CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Clermont County22 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Coshocton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Cuyahoga County221 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Delaware CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Erie County50 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Fayette CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Franklin County59 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Fulton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Gallia CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Geauga CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Greene County20 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Hamilton County37 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Henry CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Hocking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Holmes CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Huron CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Jackson CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Jefferson CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Lake County62 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Lawrence CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Lorain County50 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Lucas County167 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Marion CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Medina County43 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Meigs CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Mercer CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Miami CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Montgomery CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Morgan CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Ottawa CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Paulding CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Perry CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Pike CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Portage County21 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Richland County20 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Sandusky CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Scioto CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Shelby CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Stark County27 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Summit County78 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Vinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wayne County36 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wood CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wyandot CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round

Season

When it is recorded

In Cuyahoga County

Recorded all year

Recorded through most of the year, so there is no single season to show. Based on 221 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Cuyahoga County · records of all species each week, 92,154 in all

Records per week from 221 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Red-headed Woodpecker in Cuyahoga County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Red-headed WoodpeckerYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–1022468
Jan 11–1732502
Jan 18–2422393
Jan 25–3111380
Feb 1–700590
Feb 8–1411504
Feb 15–2132455
Feb 22–2821583
Mar 1–711567
Mar 8–1400750
Mar 15–2153819
Mar 22–2821780
Mar 29 – Apr 4111,014
Apr 5–11001,655
Apr 12–18222,306
Apr 19–25221,857
Apr 26 – May 21084,135
May 3–9522,830
May 10–161162,640
May 17–23222,938
May 24–30542,903
May 31 – Jun 6442,621
Jun 7–13842,326
Jun 14–20652,465
Jun 21–27322,426
Jun 28 – Jul 4112,632
Jul 5–11112,765
Jul 12–18842,898
Jul 19–251562,860
Jul 26 – Aug 1432,736
Aug 2–8513,021
Aug 9–15332,627
Aug 16–22712,732
Aug 23–29522,388
Aug 30 – Sep 5533,076
Sep 6–12443,578
Sep 13–19733,735
Sep 20–26423,328
Sep 27 – Oct 3522,834
Oct 4–10422,275
Oct 11–171331,937
Oct 18–24421,181
Oct 25–31111,172
Nov 1–700893
Nov 8–1463854
Nov 15–2174485
Nov 22–2861552
Nov 29 – Dec 5124448
Dec 6–1211498
Dec 13–1953458
Dec 20–2633575
Dec 27 – Jan 244709

In Ohio

Recorded all year

Recorded through most of the year, so there is no single season to show. Based on 1,919 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 1,919 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Red-headed Woodpecker in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Red-headed WoodpeckerYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–101976,211
Jan 11–172365,146
Jan 18–241364,645
Jan 25–31644,698
Feb 1–72086,023
Feb 8–141665,888
Feb 15–211585,436
Feb 22–281876,846
Mar 1–71978,321
Mar 8–1420510,384
Mar 15–2113612,620
Mar 22–2810613,949
Mar 29 – Apr 422619,661
Apr 5–1119826,860
Apr 12–1831739,925
Apr 19–2539941,623
Apr 26 – May 265856,391
May 3–9121952,952
May 10–161991053,785
May 17–231131057,698
May 24–3057954,651
May 31 – Jun 659953,099
Jun 7–13611053,700
Jun 14–20601056,625
Jun 21–2744855,361
Jun 28 – Jul 4531058,477
Jul 5–1144961,336
Jul 12–18461064,722
Jul 19–2562969,753
Jul 26 – Aug 1471059,416
Aug 2–848959,712
Aug 9–1537855,994
Aug 16–2230854,328
Aug 23–2933951,772
Aug 30 – Sep 535957,167
Sep 6–1228859,075
Sep 13–1935954,543
Sep 20–2623745,860
Sep 27 – Oct 317843,180
Oct 4–1027637,841
Oct 11–1731730,824
Oct 18–2422721,156
Oct 25–3132719,021
Nov 1–718514,172
Nov 8–1429612,621
Nov 15–211857,965
Nov 22–281548,136
Nov 29 – Dec 52376,083
Dec 6–121076,004
Dec 13–192875,423
Dec 20–262275,661
Dec 27 – Jan 22468,459

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Relatives

In the same genus

Other Melanerpes recorded in Cuyahoga County

Identification

How to identify it

Often confused with

  • Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinusOften confused in Ohio: 10 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus69 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens22 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus15 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius12 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

When it is heard

Reported with a sound recording, too few times for a season.

From 2 iNaturalist records with a sound recording. Sounds are not kept or played here. Listen on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed46%49%
Forest32%31%
Wetland13%5%
Farmland6%11%
Open water2%3%
Barren0.5%0.6%
Grassland and shrub0.3%0.9%

From 769 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

1,919 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.