Saw a Black and White Bird with a Red Head? Here Are 12 Suspects

Quick Take

• Two birds can look nearly identical at a glance, with only one tiny detail separating them. Miss it, and your ID is wrong.
• One bird on this list weighs as much as a small dog and has a wingspan that dwarfs most backyard birds, and you would recognize it instantly if you ever saw it.
• Several of these birds wear completely different colors as juveniles, meaning the red head you're trying to identify might not even be the adult form.
• At least one bird here isn't from where you'd ever expect to find it, and its presence in such a surprising location has a very specific explanation.

If you love bird watching, you might have seen a variety of different birds that are black and white with red heads. However, you might be surprised to learn that there is a huge range of birds that look like this. A simple Google search returns so many black and white birds with red heads that it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly which one you saw. There are some easy ways to identify different bird species that come in this color pattern. From size to distinguishing markings, there are many ways to tell these birds apart. So, let’s go over the 18 species of black and white birds with red heads that you might come across during your bird-watching adventures.

1. Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

If you’re on the eastern side of North America, you may have come across a red-bellied woodpecker. To identify this bird, you will want to look for their distinctive black and white-barred back. Notably, male red-bellied woodpeckers have a partially red head, extending from the bill across the crown to the nape. Their bellies are an off-white color with a slight red tinge. Female woodpeckers of this species look very similar to the males, but the red coloring is only on the nape. Both sexes are about 9 to 10 inches long and have a wingspan of about 13 to 16.5 inches.

2. Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

Another black and white woodpecker species with a red head is the red-headed woodpecker. Similarly, this woodpecker is also found in North America across southern Canada and the east-central United States. The red-headed woodpecker has a very distinctive appearance. It has a red head, neck, and upper breast. As for the rest of its body, it has a white lower chest and stomach, and a black back, wings, and tail. It also has a white patch on its wings, as well as black eyes. A fully-grown red-headed woodpecker will be around 7 to 9 inches long, with a wingspan of 14 to 17 inches.

3. Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)

The pine grosbeak is a bird commonly found in the northernmost parts of North America, including Alaska and Canada. A medium-sized bird growing up to 10 inches long, the pine grosbeak has a wingspan of 12 to 13 inches. You can easily identify males of this species by their rounded shape, rose-red head, and reddish feathers on their back and breast. The wings are gray, black, and white. On the other hand, female pine grosbeaks are mostly grey, with orange or yellow on the head and rump.

4. California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)

The California condor is the largest land bird in North America, weighing up to 25 pounds. This huge bird also boasts a wingspan of an incredible 9.5 feet. While the California condor is most commonly found in California, this bird can also be found in Arizona, Utah, and even Mexico. Thanks to its enormous size, the California condor is one of the easiest birds to recognize. The adults of this species are all black with white patches under the wings. Notably, their heads are completely bare of feathers and the skin has a reddish tinge. Conversely, juveniles have darker heads and gray necks and patches under their wings.

5. Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)

Yet another black and white woodpecker with a red head is the hairy woodpecker, a resident of North America. A medium-sized woodpecker, the hairy woodpecker is around 7 to 10 inches long, with a wingspan of about 15 inches. This woodpecker boasts a square-shaped head, a long bill, and stiff, long tail feathers. Interestingly, its bill is as long as the head itself. In terms of color, the hairy woodpecker has a white belly along with a black back, wings, and tails. The back features one white patch in the middle, while the wings have white checkered spots. The hairy woodpecker’s black head has two white stripes on the side. The males have a bright red patch on the back of the head.

6. Red-Breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)

Found across North America, the red-breasted sapsucker measures roughly 8-9 inches in length with a wingspan of 14-16 inches. As you might be able to guess from its name, this bird drills rows of shallow wells in trees to access the sap to feed on. Both sexes of this species have that signature red breast and head and a black and white-streaked belly. The back of this bird is mottled black and white, which makes its plumage quite distinctive and beautiful. The black wings of the red-breasted sapsucker feature a large vertical white patch.

7. Scarlet Honeycreeper (Drepanis coccinea)

Also known as the ‘I’iwi, the scarlet honeycreeper measures 5.5–6 inches with an estimated wingspan of around 8-10 inches. This bird lives in Hawaii and is notably one of the more abundant native bird species of the islands. While this bird may appear mostly red at first glance, adult scarlet honeycreepers actually also have black and white coloring. Specifically, these birds boast that signature bright scarlet head, with the color bleeding down their back and belly, too. Additionally, ʻIʻiwis have black wings with white spots that contrast the scarlet red. Another distinguishing feature of these birds is their curved bill.

8. Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

The yellow-bellied sapsucker can be found in North America and Central America and prefers to live in conifer and hardwood forests. This bird has a straight bill and a forked tail, and their plumage is a beautiful mix of colors. Adult males have a black-and-white-striped face with a red throat, forehead, and crown. They also have vertical white patches across the rest of the body, including the back, belly, and wings. Females look almost identical to the males, except they have a white throat and a paler crown. Juveniles, on the other hand, lack that bold red marking on their head. In terms of size, the yellow-bellied sapsucker can measure anywhere between 7 to 8.5 inches long with a wingspan of 13-16 inches.

9. Flame-Colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata)

A resident of Mexico and Central America, the flame-colored tanager is also a rare visitor to the southwestern United States, particularly during the non-breeding season. Male flame-colored tanagers have a bright reddish-orange head with gray-black wings and white spots. Their black tail also has streaks of white. Females, on the other hand, are olive-green in color and have a yellow belly along with gray-black wings with white streaks. These birds measure 6-7 inches long with a wingspan of 10-11 inches.

10. Red-Faced Warbler (Cardellina rubrifrons)

The red-faced warbler is commonly found in the forested areas of Mexico and Arizona. You’ll mostly find this bird foraging amongst the branches pretty high up in the trees, but interestingly, it nests on the ground. The females and males of the red-faced warbler are similar in color, with both boasting red faces and throats, while the rest of the bird is mostly grayish-brown with streaks of black and white. The red-faced warbler is a relatively small bird, measuring just 5.5 inches long with a wingspan of 8.5 inches.

11. Two-Barred Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera)

Also called the white-winged crossbill, the two-barred crossbill is a small songbird that lives in Europe and North America. Measuring around 5.5 to 7 inches long with a wingspan of 10-11 inches, this bird has a very distinctive crossed bill. The males of this species have a raspberry-red forehead, crown, and nape. Their wings are black with white bars, and their tail is black with white fringes. The female two-barred crossbills lack the red color and have a green-yellow head instead.

12. Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)

The habitat of the acorn woodpecker extends from Oregon and California all the way south to Central America and Colombia. As its name suggests, this bird is known for its dependence on acorns for food. In terms of appearance, the acorn woodpecker is mostly black in color with white streaks on its wings and a mostly white belly. While its head is also mostly black, the acorn woodpecker notably has a bright red cap and yellow eyes. These birds measure 7.5–9.0 inches long with a wingspan of roughly 14-17 inches.