Red-headed Woodpecker by Zac Cody
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Painted: 10/7/2025
About the Mural: Cast in drifting shadows, a mural splays across the concrete underpass stretching across a portion of the Wabash River in Warren County, Indiana. Broad strokes of black and white paint form the shape of a Red-headed Woodpecker, which carries a mayfly in its mouth as it swoops in to feed its nestling. The baby woodpecker seems to be cracking through the wall of concrete, its eyes shining as it opens its beak for the meal. A closer look reveals three words woven into the splintering design around the young bird’s head: “Protect,” “Habitat,” and “Niches.”
Local artist Zac Cody painted this mural for the Audubon Mural Project as part of a series of public art pieces depicting wildlife commissioned by the Warren County Community Foundation along the river and its Big Pine Creek tributary. Michele Stucky, the foundation’s executive director, hoped the mural would bring people to the water and connect them with nature. “Because the mural is so detailed, it will make them want to get closer, whether that be taking off their shoes and wading over or bringing a kayak to get right next to it,” Stucky says. “We’re using the mural to encourage people to come and see the space, and then we’re hoping that they’ll want to spend longer there.”
About the Bird: With its unmistakable pattern of black- and white-patched feathers and a firetruck-red head, this woodpecker was once a fixture throughout the eastern part of the country. The birds, which nest in trees in open habitats such as orchards and clearings, are known for their harsh call and can often be seen swooping through the air to catch insects.
The species’ populations have seen declines in recent decades, possibly due to habitat loss from the cutting of dead trees and competition with invasive starlings; the woodpeckers can also suffer car strikes as they gather insects along roadsides. Though the birds are still considered a species of least concern by the IUCN, climate change poses more threats. If warming continues at its current pace, the birds could lose 94 percent of their summer range, according to projections from Audubon’s Survival by Degrees report.
Cody counted three of the birds himself as he painted the mural, which he says is an indicator that the area offers healthy habitat. “[The mural] is a nod to good land stewardship,” Stucky says. “If you have the Red-headed Woodpecker here, it means you’re doing a good job with how you’re taking care of the land.”
About the Artist: Though Cody had long explored different kinds of art, including painting and pottery, he’d always kept a day job as a photographer—until a dramatic moment led him to commit to his art full-time. After losing his house in a fire in 2023, Cody managed to make it out with his watercolor paints, leading him to rethink his work and goals. “I had a big realization,” Cody says. “I wanted to run my own business and try and make it.”
Soon after, he dedicated himself to painting wildlife full-time and has since completed a range of nature-inspired works, from smaller designs to large-scale murals. He often seeks out spots for painting that are integrated into the natural environment, which adds a special layer to how people discover the work. “You mostly see murals in urban places,” Cody says. “But they feel a little more special, hidden, and few and far between out in the country.”
Cody sees his art as an opportunity to educate both himself and observers. To maintain accuracy in his work, he thoroughly studies the anatomy of each species and conducts research on their behaviors and habitats. When Cody shares his artwork on social media under the handle Zac’s Art Creations, he also shares fun facts about his wildlife subjects. Each detail, Cody says, makes people feel closer to nature. “What I like to do with my art is highlight unseen things,” Cody says. “I like to do wildlife up close because it’s a perspective that, if you’re not a photographer or sitting in the woods watching animals, you don’t always see.”