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Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:

With its entirely red head and boldly patterned black and white body and wings, a true Red-headed Woodpecker is nearly impossible to mistake for any other bird known in Saskatchewan. Unlike other woodpeckers, which are more often heard (calling, pecking, or drumming) before they are seen, Red-headed Woodpeckers are most often noted flycatching along fencelines or from power poles, a most "unwoodpecker-like? behaviour. The species breeds from southern Saskatchewan to southern New Brunswick and south to central New Mexico and the Gulf coast. During winter it withdraws from the northern third of its range (AOU 1998).

Most observations are from semi-open country, but breeding has occurred only in areas with large dead or dying trees suitable for the excavation of nesting cavities.

The Red-headed Woodpecker in Saskatchewan is a rare and erratic but declining summer visitant and very rare breeding bird. In spite of increased birding activity this species shows a decline from the 1980s to the 2000s. The number of records in the 2010s may suggest a modest recovery. Except for one seen at La Ronge 29 Jun 1995 (Anthony Lang in Koes and Taylor 1995d), all records have been from the settled south.

Original text by Alan R. Smith. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky

Read more about the Red-headed Woodpecker in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.

LeeAnn M. Latremouille

Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Red-headed Woodpecker in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=RHWO&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]