Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 1

Assessment Summary – April 2007

Common name: Red-headed Woodpecker

Scientific name: Melanerpes Erythrocephalus

Status: Threatened

Reason for designation: The brightly coloured woodpecker of open deciduous forests of southeastern Canada and southern parts of western Canada has experienced a significant population decline over the long-term associated with habitat loss and the removal of dead trees in which it nests. There is no evidence to suggest that the population trend will be reversed.

Occurrence: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec

Status history: Designated Special Concern in April 1996. Status re-examined and designated Threatened in April 2007. Last assessment based on an update status report.