I think it is a protected species. Years ago one of them in my neighborhood kind went rogue, crazy, whatever, and went after everyone's rain gutters, starting at 5am every morning and working it's way up and down our street. Now please understand, the noise this generates will wake up the dead. The gutter material and shape seems to amplify the sound of that beak hammering away at it. After weeks of this I had no choice. Got up at 4am and waited outside. He arrived, unaware of my presence. One pellet, dead before it hit the ground. The neighbors approved wholeheartedly and I think the remaining population of the red headed woodpeckers are much better off without that individual bird adding to the collective DNA of the species. I see them often but no other has developed an attraction to gutters, thank goodness.