| Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) |
| Cool
fact: The Red-bellied Woodpecker gets its name from the small pinkish wash on its
belly that is only noticeable under optimal viewing conditions. Listen to a recording of a Red-bellied Woodpecker from the Library of Natural Sounds: The range of the Red-bellied Woodpecker encompasses most of the eastern portion of North America. During severe winters, Red-bellied Woodpeckers tend to migrate from the northern reaches of their range to areas where the weather is less severe. |
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| Description: The Red-bellied Woodpecker has a black-and-white
barred back, which includes much of the wing. The head, undersides, rump, and central tail
feathers are primarily grayish white in color. These woodpeckers have a pinkish wash to
the belly that is difficult to see. Males have a red nape and crown, and, to a lesser
extent, their forehead and lores are also red. Females have only a red nape and lores. In
flight, the prominent white patch at the base of the blackish primaries produces a
prominent white wing patch. Red-bellied Woodpeckers prefer to forage in deciduous trees, but they also forage on the ground. Males tend to forage along branches that are larger in diameter than the branches chosen by females. During the winter, Red-bellied Woodpeckers are primarily seed eaters, and often they are seen frequenting feeders. |
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| Recording credit: Red-bellied Woodpecker calls and drums were recorded by Randolph Scott Little and Robert C. Stein LNS catalog #s 23133, 23129, & 26405. |
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 Project Feederwatch results indicate that the range of the Red-bellied Woodpecker encompasses most of the eastern portion of North America. |
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| Copyright © 1998 Cornell Lab of Ornithology | |
