WhenToBird

Melanerpes erythrocephalus · Picidae

When Do Red-headed Woodpeckers Arrive in Kansas?

Adult Red-headed Woodpecker
Photo: Owen VanAntwerpen, CC BY-SA 4.0 via iNaturalist

Red-headed Woodpeckers are in Kansas all year, but most are here in fall: numbers build from the second week of August, peak in the second week of September (16% of checklists), and fall back by late September. In the quietest week (mid February) they are still on about 2.8% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildAug 8-14the second week of August
PeakSep 8-14the second week of September
Fall back bySep 22-30late September
FewestFeb 15-21mid February

Best: the second week of September. Here all year; numbers build from the second week of August and fall back by late September. Peak: on about 16% of Kansas checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novuncommon
  12. Decuncommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%5%10%15%20%Jan 1-7: 3.3% of 8683 checklistsJan 8-14: 2.8% of 5710 checklistsJan 15-21: 2.9% of 5453 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.8% of 7868 checklistsFeb 1-7: 3.6% of 5579 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.3% of 6307 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.9% of 7830 checklistsFeb 22-28: 3.0% of 6124 checklistsMar 1-7: 3.5% of 6442 checklistsMar 8-14: 3.1% of 6925 checklistsMar 15-21: 2.9% of 7257 checklistsMar 22-31: 2.7% of 11527 checklistsApr 1-7: 3.4% of 8908 checklistsApr 8-14: 3.0% of 11070 checklistsApr 15-21: 3.2% of 11050 checklistsApr 22-30: 5.7% of 16381 checklistsMay 1-7: 11% of 15899 checklistsMay 8-14: 15% of 15349 checklistsMay 15-21: 13% of 10474 checklistsMay 22-31: 11% of 11264 checklistsJun 1-7: 9.8% of 6783 checklistsJun 8-14: 9.4% of 5654 checklistsJun 15-21: 9.4% of 4716 checklistsJun 22-30: 8.8% of 6232 checklistsJul 1-7: 9.4% of 5073 checklistsJul 8-14: 8.9% of 4528 checklistsJul 15-21: 7.4% of 4210 checklistsJul 22-31: 8.7% of 5986 checklistsAug 1-7: 9.6% of 4661 checklistsAug 8-14: 10% of 4762 checklistsAug 15-21: 11% of 4823 checklistsAug 22-31: 14% of 7214 checklistsSep 1-7: 18% of 5989 checklistsSep 8-14: 16% of 5549 checklistsSep 15-21: 14% of 5255 checklistsSep 22-30: 11% of 7370 checklistsOct 1-7: 7.6% of 5829 checklistsOct 8-14: 5.8% of 6183 checklistsOct 15-21: 4.0% of 5504 checklistsOct 22-31: 3.1% of 7289 checklistsNov 1-7: 3.7% of 5535 checklistsNov 8-14: 4.8% of 5462 checklistsNov 15-21: 5.0% of 4929 checklistsNov 22-30: 4.4% of 6627 checklistsDec 1-7: 4.1% of 4670 checklistsDec 8-14: 3.9% of 4805 checklistsDec 15-21: 5.0% of 6341 checklistsDec 22-31: 4.4% of 8186 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Kansas that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Kansas

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Sheridan CountyBest mid August · 11 checklists that week, 254 in all71%
  2. Seward CountyBest the second week of June · 19 checklists that week, 566 in all67%
  3. Graham CountyBest early July · 10 checklists that week, 440 in all67%
  4. Smith CountyBest mid August · 12 checklists that week, 484 in all66%
  5. Comanche CountyBest late June · 14 checklists that week, 769 in all60%
  6. Linn CountyBest mid September · 26 checklists that week, 2,601 in all60%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Pottawatomie State Fishing LakePottawatomie County, best the second week of December · 20 checklists that week, 529 in all90%
  2. Cheney State ParkReno County, best early July · 26 checklists that week, 1,708 in all88%
  3. Perry Recreation Area (north 3)Jefferson County, best late December · 38 checklists that week, 101 in all87%
  4. Park Smith LakeStafford County, best late May · 25 checklists that week, 696 in all77%
  5. Rice WoodlandDouglas County, best late April · 22 checklists that week, 132 in all75%
  6. Burcham ParkDouglas County, best late August · 23 checklists that week, 1,300 in all71%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Kansas, the Red-headed Woodpecker is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (9.5% of those checklists).

0%5%10%12 am: too few checklists (150) to judge1 am: too few checklists (119) to judge2 am: too few checklists (97) to judge3 am: too few checklists (94) to judge4 am: too few checklists (124) to judge5 am: too few checklists (1459) to judge6 am: 9.7% of 12550 checklists7 am: 9.5% of 34128 checklists8 am: 8.8% of 45960 checklists9 am: 8.0% of 37806 checklists10 am: 7.2% of 32102 checklists11 am: 6.4% of 25896 checklists12 pm: 6.0% of 24203 checklists1 pm: 6.4% of 20269 checklists2 pm: 6.3% of 20772 checklists3 pm: 5.9% of 20978 checklists4 pm: 5.3% of 22094 checklists5 pm: 5.2% of 17739 checklists6 pm: 5.2% of 13963 checklists7 pm: 4.8% of 10110 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (4188) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (968) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (325) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (171) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January3.3%2.8%2.9%2.8%
February3.6%2.3%2.9%3.0%
March3.5%3.1%2.9%2.7%
April3.4%3.0%3.2%5.7%
May11%15%13%11%
June9.8%9.4%9.4%8.8%
July9.4%8.9%7.4%8.7%
August9.6%10%11%14%
September18%16%14%11%
October7.6%5.8%4.0%3.1%
November3.7%4.8%5.0%4.4%
December4.1%3.9%5.0%4.4%

Neighboring states

  • Nebraska: arrives mid April, 15 weeks earlier than Kansas
  • Oklahoma: arrives early September, 3 weeks later than Kansas
  • Missouri: arrives late August, 2 weeks later than Kansas
  • Arkansas: year-round, peaks late August

Common questions

When do Red-headed Woodpeckers arrive in Kansas?
Red-headed Woodpeckers are in Kansas all year, but most are here in fall: numbers build from the second week of August, peak in the second week of September (16% of checklists), and fall back by late September. In the quietest week (mid February) they are still on about 2.8% of checklists.
When do Red-headed Woodpeckers leave Kansas?
Red-headed Woodpeckers never fully leave Kansas: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by late September, but some are still reported in every week, about 2.8% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see a Red-headed Woodpecker in Kansas?
The Red-headed Woodpecker is reported most often in the second week of September, on about 16% of Kansas checklists.
Where in Kansas are Red-headed Woodpeckers seen most often?
By county, Sheridan County, Seward County, and Graham County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Red-headed Woodpecker (counties with at least 200 checklists).