Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus borealis
A small woodpecker of mature pine forests in the southeastern United States, especially open longleaf pine savannas. It climbs bark and probes living pines for ants, beetles, larvae, and other insects, often moving between resinous cavity trees. Unlike most woodpeckers, it excavates nest and roost cavities in living pines, where sticky resin flows help deter snakes. The tiny red “cockade” is usually hidden on males, making the bird appear mostly black, white, and barred in the field.
- Type
- Wing
- Conservation status
- NT
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Red-cockaded Woodpecker