The Red-headed Woodpecker is a charismatic and colorful species, recognizable to even the most casual birder. Its eye-catching plumage gives this woodpecker a number of whimsical nicknames, including flag bird, flying checker-board, jellycoat, patriotic bird, and shirt-tail bird. They are noisy as well as colorful, vocalizing with a variety of harsh "churrs" and rising "queery" calls.

This woodpecker's preferred habitat ― open groves with abundant snags for nesting and roosting ― puts it in direct competition with introduced cavity-nesting birds such as European Starlings. But the main driver of Red-headed Woodpecker declines is habitat loss caused by development of bottomland forest and fire suppression. Similar declines have been noted in other species that prefer open woods and glades, including Prairie Warbler, Flammulated Owl, and Olive-sided Flycatcher.

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