Red-headed Woodpeckers arrive in Wyoming in the second week of May, peak in late May (1.5% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of September.
When to look
First arrivalsMay 8-14the second week of May
Common byMay 8-14the second week of May
PeakMay 22-31late May
Most gone bySep 8-14the second week of September
Best: late May. First arrivals the second week of May; most are gone by the second week of September. Peak: on about 1.5% of Wyoming checklists.
Jannot usually seen
Febnot usually seen
Marnot usually seen
Aprnot usually seen
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julcommon
Augpeak season
Seppeak season
Octrare
Novnot usually seen
Decnot usually seen
Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.
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 Wyoming 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
0%few checklistsno data
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.
Camplex ParkCampbell County, best early September · 34 checklists that week, 659 in all36%
Mcmanamen ParkCampbell County, best mid May · 25 checklists that week, 626 in all7.8%
Reshaw ParkNatrona County, best mid May · 20 checklists that week, 291 in all5.9%
Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.
Best time of day
In Wyoming, the Red-headed Woodpecker is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (1.0% of those checklists).
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
Month
Days 1-7
8-14
15-21
22-end
January
0%
0%
0%
0%
February
0%
0%
0%
0%
March
0%
0%
0%
0%
April
0%
0%
0%
0%
May
0.1%
0.3%
1.5%
1.8%
June
1.1%
1.0%
0.7%
0.8%
July
0.7%
1.0%
1.0%
0.9%
August
1.0%
1.1%
1.3%
1.5%
September
1.6%
0.6%
0.2%
0.3%
October
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0%
November
0%
0%
0%
0%
December
0%
0%
0%
0%
Neighboring states
Colorado: arrives the second week of May, in the same week than Wyoming
South Dakota: arrives early May, 1 week earlier than Wyoming
North Dakota: arrives the second week of May, in the same week than Wyoming
Nebraska: arrives mid April, 3 weeks earlier than Wyoming
Common questions
When do Red-headed Woodpeckers arrive in Wyoming?
Red-headed Woodpeckers arrive in Wyoming in the second week of May, peak in late May (1.5% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of September.
When do Red-headed Woodpeckers leave Wyoming?
Most Red-headed Woodpeckers have left Wyoming by the second week of September, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Red-headed Woodpecker in Wyoming?
The Red-headed Woodpecker is reported most often in late May, on about 1.5% of Wyoming checklists.
Where in Wyoming are Red-headed Woodpeckers seen most often?
By county, Crook County, Niobrara County, and Campbell County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Red-headed Woodpecker (counties with at least 200 checklists).