Red headed woodpecker

Description:

I was absolutely thrilled to see this red headed woodpecker during my visit through South Dakota. It was once a very common bird in eastern North America. But now the Red-headed Woodpecker is uncommon and local in many regions. A beautiful woodpecker with a totally red head. Has a snow-white body, and half white, half inky black wings. These birds don’t act quite like most other woodpeckers: they’re adept at catching insects in the air, and they eat lots of acorns and beech nuts, often hiding away extra food in tree crevices for later.

Habitat:

Red-headed Woodpeckers live in pine savannahs and other open forests. Open pine plantations, tree rows in agricultural areas, and standing timber in beaver swamps and other wetlands all attract Red-headed Woodpeckers. This red headed woodpecker was spotted in a campground in the Badlands of South Dakota. There were but a pine trees around and lots of open meadows.

Notes:

I actually watched this red headed woodpecker sitting on a fencepost and flying out to catch the bugs. Amazing!