This streak is the species rarely visible but distinguishing mark and namesake. Both the male and the female of the species have a distinctive black nape which encircles large white patches on the cheek along with black and white horizontal bars on the back. The young of the species bear the same general colors and patterns of the adults, but young males will have an oval shaped patch of crimson on their crown. An intensely social and territorial bird, the red-cockaded woodpecker nests in groups of up to nine members. Groups are made up of one breeding pair, nestlings and male helpers.
Male helpers assist in excavating nesting cavities, defending the territory and raising the young.
Red-cockaded woodpeckers are one of few birds that build their nests in living trees. The fungus causes the heartwood of the tree to become soft. The birds then excavate a gourd shaped cavity, roughly 8 to 12 inches in diameter, into the heart of the tree, a process which can take up to 1 to 3 years. Because of the size of tree required to build the nesting cavity, red-cockaded woodpeckers are limited to longleaf pines, which are between 80 to 120 years old, and loblolly pines that are 70 to 100 years old. The red-cockaded woodpecker has been found in association with other birds such as titmice, bluebirds, and nuthatches.