Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 9
Special Significance of the Species
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a primary excavating species whose old cavities are used for nesting by other species of birds (Sedgwick 1997). Hence, protection of its preferred nesting habitat (i.e. large dead trees in urban and agricultural areas) would increase bird diversity.
In winter, the Red-headed Woodpecker’s habit of storing large quantities of mast in hardwood forests is also an important factor in the dispersal of certain tree species.