red-cockaded woodpecker

noun

red-cock·​ad·​ed woodpecker
: an endangered chiefly black-and-white woodpecker (Picoides borealis) of the southeastern U.S. having a barred back, white cheek patches, and in the male a small tuft of red feathers on each side of the head

Examples of red-cockaded woodpecker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Now, finding the right kind of tree and drilling the hole takes a long time, as much as a year, for a young male red-cockaded woodpecker. Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2011 Firefighters cut low-lying branches from old pine trees where the red-cockaded woodpecker nests and burned other potential fuel. Felicia Fonseca, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'red-cockaded woodpecker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of red-cockaded woodpecker was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near red-cockaded woodpecker

red cock

red-cockaded woodpecker

red cod

Cite this Entry

“Red-cockaded woodpecker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red-cockaded%20woodpecker. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

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