WhenToBird

Melanerpes erythrocephalus · Picidae

When Do Red-headed Woodpeckers Arrive in Ohio?

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

Red-headed Woodpeckers are in Ohio all year, but most are here in summer: numbers build from late April, peak in the second week of May (13% of checklists), and fall back by mid September. In the quietest week (mid February) they are still on about 2.9% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildApr 22-30late April
PeakMay 8-14the second week of May
Fall back bySep 15-21mid September
FewestFeb 15-21mid February

Best: the second week of May. Here all year; numbers build from late April and fall back by mid September. Peak: on about 13% of Ohio 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%Jan 1-7: 3.2% of 46637 checklistsJan 8-14: 3.5% of 31056 checklistsJan 15-21: 2.9% of 30129 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.9% of 38665 checklistsFeb 1-7: 3.2% of 27203 checklistsFeb 8-14: 3.0% of 30626 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.7% of 40705 checklistsFeb 22-28: 3.0% of 31391 checklistsMar 1-7: 3.2% of 32914 checklistsMar 8-14: 3.2% of 33973 checklistsMar 15-21: 3.2% of 33678 checklistsMar 22-31: 3.4% of 49889 checklistsApr 1-7: 4.1% of 41225 checklistsApr 8-14: 4.6% of 47174 checklistsApr 15-21: 5.6% of 47017 checklistsApr 22-30: 8.7% of 73055 checklistsMay 1-7: 12% of 80637 checklistsMay 8-14: 13% of 102552 checklistsMay 15-21: 12% of 64582 checklistsMay 22-31: 9.0% of 52766 checklistsJun 1-7: 8.6% of 29279 checklistsJun 8-14: 8.9% of 25773 checklistsJun 15-21: 9.0% of 23163 checklistsJun 22-30: 8.9% of 27794 checklistsJul 1-7: 9.2% of 23334 checklistsJul 8-14: 9.4% of 22147 checklistsJul 15-21: 8.8% of 20998 checklistsJul 22-31: 8.7% of 29749 checklistsAug 1-7: 9.3% of 22899 checklistsAug 8-14: 9.4% of 21972 checklistsAug 15-21: 10% of 22215 checklistsAug 22-31: 11% of 35087 checklistsSep 1-7: 11% of 29148 checklistsSep 8-14: 10% of 28042 checklistsSep 15-21: 7.9% of 26751 checklistsSep 22-30: 5.8% of 32398 checklistsOct 1-7: 4.8% of 26209 checklistsOct 8-14: 4.4% of 26809 checklistsOct 15-21: 3.7% of 23504 checklistsOct 22-31: 3.5% of 33269 checklistsNov 1-7: 4.1% of 25563 checklistsNov 8-14: 3.5% of 23810 checklistsNov 15-21: 3.2% of 22127 checklistsNov 22-30: 3.2% of 29449 checklistsDec 1-7: 3.3% of 22370 checklistsDec 8-14: 3.4% of 21581 checklistsDec 15-21: 3.6% of 24232 checklistsDec 22-31: 3.5% of 36084 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 Ohio 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 Ohio

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Shelby CountyBest the second week of July · 21 checklists that week, 1,659 in all54%
  2. Putnam CountyBest early May · 38 checklists that week, 927 in all46%
  3. Van Wert CountyBest late January · 30 checklists that week, 2,246 in all40%
  4. Hardin CountyBest early May · 221 checklists that week, 4,583 in all39%
  5. Erie CountyBest the second week of May · 2754 checklists that week, 30,456 in all38%
  6. Trumbull CountyBest mid August · 329 checklists that week, 21,066 in all38%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Mosquito Creek State ParkTrumbull County, best late August · 22 checklists that week, 453 in all96%
  2. Grand River Wildlife AreaTrumbull County, best early July · 26 checklists that week, 1,401 in all95%
  3. Ohio to Erie TrailDelaware County, best early May · 21 checklists that week, 454 in all92%
  4. Lawrence Woods Dedicated Nature PreserveHardin County, best mid April · 35 checklists that week, 523 in all90%
  5. Oak Openings Preserve Metropark (west)Lucas County, best late June · 44 checklists that week, 1,613 in all89%

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

Best time of day

In Ohio, the Red-headed Woodpecker is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (11% of those checklists).

0%5%10%15%12 am: too few checklists (574) to judge1 am: too few checklists (609) to judge2 am: too few checklists (466) to judge3 am: too few checklists (478) to judge4 am: too few checklists (662) to judge5 am: too few checklists (4366) to judge6 am: 14% of 43093 checklists7 am: 9.7% of 142017 checklists8 am: 7.9% of 205296 checklists9 am: 7.1% of 196322 checklists10 am: 6.5% of 170882 checklists11 am: 6.1% of 144567 checklists12 pm: 5.6% of 126551 checklists1 pm: 5.5% of 117855 checklists2 pm: 5.5% of 112869 checklists3 pm: 5.2% of 109786 checklists4 pm: 5.3% of 103116 checklists5 pm: 5.6% of 78409 checklists6 pm: 6.3% of 56785 checklists7 pm: 5.3% of 37923 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (14954) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (2710) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (854) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (486) 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
January3.2%3.5%2.9%2.9%
February3.2%3.0%2.7%3.0%
March3.2%3.2%3.2%3.4%
April4.1%4.6%5.6%8.7%
May12%13%12%9.0%
June8.6%8.9%9.0%8.9%
July9.2%9.4%8.8%8.7%
August9.3%9.4%10%11%
September11%10%7.9%5.8%
October4.8%4.4%3.7%3.5%
November4.1%3.5%3.2%3.2%
December3.3%3.4%3.6%3.5%

Neighboring states

  • West Virginia: arrives the second week of April, 2 weeks earlier than Ohio
  • Indiana: arrives late April, in the same week than Ohio
  • Michigan: arrives the second week of April, 2 weeks earlier than Ohio
  • Kentucky: arrives mid April, 1 week earlier than Ohio

Common questions

When do Red-headed Woodpeckers arrive in Ohio?
Red-headed Woodpeckers are in Ohio all year, but most are here in summer: numbers build from late April, peak in the second week of May (13% of checklists), and fall back by mid September. In the quietest week (mid February) they are still on about 2.9% of checklists.
When do Red-headed Woodpeckers leave Ohio?
Red-headed Woodpeckers never fully leave Ohio: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by mid September, but some are still reported in every week, about 2.9% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see a Red-headed Woodpecker in Ohio?
The Red-headed Woodpecker is reported most often in the second week of May, on about 13% of Ohio checklists.
Where in Ohio are Red-headed Woodpeckers seen most often?
By county, Shelby County, Putnam County, and Van Wert County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Red-headed Woodpecker (counties with at least 200 checklists).