The slight damage these birds do among orange groves is more than compensated by their destruction of injurious insects. To convince an orange grower of this fact is not easy. If he sees a "Zebraback" niping an orange the gun is apt to settle the matter forever. The Woodpecker loses his life — the farmer, a friend. (What we see eliminates memory of good deeds and justice is defeated.)
These Woodpeckers are rather widely distributed in the southern states and have no preference for a particular kind of country.
Eastern United States from southern Wisconsin, Michigan and central New York south to Florida, and thru the Gulf States to central Texas.