Red-cockaded Woodpecker

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is closely tied to mature, open pine forest of the southeastern United States, especially longleaf pine ecosystems maintained by periodic fire. Its most reliable field mark is a bold white cheek patch bordered by black, which stands out much more than the tiny red "cockade" streak that gives the species its name.

Unusually among woodpeckers, it excavates its nest cavity in living pine trees rather than dead wood, a slow process that can take a year or more and produces trees prized as habitat by many other species.

• Back: black-and-white barred, similar to several other small woodpeckers
• Face: large, conspicuous white cheek patch bordered by black cap and nape
• Crown: black in both sexes; males show a nearly invisible thin red streak (the "cockade") along the upper edge of the cheek patch, usually only visible at very close range or when the bird is agitated
• Underparts: white with black spotting on the flanks
• Vs. Downy/Hairy Woodpecker: the large solid white cheek patch bordered by black is the key difference, since Downy and Hairy show a more striped facial pattern with white extending along the back rather than a solid cheek block

Males show the tiny red cockade streak near the white cheek patch, which is absent in females; otherwise the sexes look alike. Juveniles lack the red streak and can show a small red crown patch instead, lost after the first molt. It has a single annual molt following the breeding season.

Restricted to mature, open pine forest, particularly longleaf pine, in the southeastern United States, historically ranging from Texas to Virginia and Florida. It is a non-migratory, cooperative-breeding species that depends on fire-maintained open pine stands and is considered a species of conservation concern due to historic habitat loss.

Forages on pine trunks and branches for insects, gleaning bark surfaces of mature pines. It lives in small family groups and excavates nest and roost cavities exclusively in living pine trees, often those weakened by a fungal heart-rot, drilling small resin wells around the cavity entrance that cause sap to flow and may deter predators. Calls include sharp, raspy chattering notes exchanged within the family group.