Melanerpes erythrocephalus

This species has declined dramatically but its numbers are still estimated to be in the millions.

BREEDING: Southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan to southern New Brunswick (formerly), south to central Texas, Gulf Coast, and Florida, west to central Montana, eastern Wyoming, eastern Colorado, and central New Mexico (AOU 1998). NON-BREEDING: regularly through the southern two-thirds of the breeding range, rarely to the northern limits of the breeding range (AOU 1998).

This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations), but it has shown long-term declines which have continued at a moderately rapid rate owing to loss and degradation of its habitat in recent decades. Consequently it is considered Near Threatened (Birdlife International, 2014). Partners in Flight (2013) estimates a global population of 1.2 million. There should be at least 81 element occurrences with such a population number.

Habitat degradation, as a result of the removal of dead trees and branches in urban areas (Pulich 1988), and loss of nesting habitat to firewood cutting, clear cutting, agricultural development and river channelling in rural areas (Ehrlich et al. 1992, Melcher 1998), appears to be responsible for the decline. Collisions with moving vehicles may be a contributing factor, but persecution as a pest by farmers and utility companies is currently minimal (Smith et al. 2000, del Hoyo et al. 2002; from Birdlife International, 2014). HABITAT: Local declines probably have been due to loss of nesting habitat as a result of firewood cutting and forest clearing for agriculture and residential development. Loss of mature bottomland hardwood forest continues to pose threats to breeding and wintering habitat (Kilham 1958, Moscovits 1978). More than 63 percent of the original southeastern bottomland hardwood forests have been lost, and the rate of loss per decade in eastern Texas is 14 percent (USFWS 1984). Declining in urban and suburban areas due to removal of dead limbs and branches (Pulich 1988). Reforestation of eastern U.S., loss of small orchards, loss of chestnuts, decline of oak savannah habitat, fire suppression in the 20th century, and the switch to "cleaner" agricultural practices (e.g., removal of hedgerows, odd corners on fields, larger monoculture fields) probably have all contributed to the decline (Smith et al., in press). Habitat areas in isolated woodlots and trees surrounded by cropland may increase exposures to pesticides, but this has not been documented. COMPETTION: In Michigan, 52 percent of nest cavities were usurped by European Starling (STURNUS VULGARIS; Ingold 1989). In Ohio, 15 percent of cavities were lost to starlings (Ingold 1994). Woodpeckers do not necessarily incur a reduction in fecundity because they may be able to re-nest successfully later in the season, though this is not without its problems (Ingold 1994).