Bird
Basics
Red-bellied
Woodpecker
(Melanerpes
carolinus)
Identification
The
Red-bellied Woodpecker is a long billed, heavy bodied woodpecker.
They are between 9-10" in length. The head has a red
“mohawk” on a cream-colored face. The male's red cap extends
all the way from the forehead at the base of the bill to
the back of the neck, while the female only has red on the
back of the head. The Red-belly's back is black with fine
white barring with a matching pattern on the tail. The underparts
are the same creamy color as the face. This woodpecker has
a deeply undulating flight.
Red
Belly?
With
all the obvious red on the head where does the name Red-bellied
Woodpecker come from? It comes from a time when birds were
named from collected specimens. If you were to have a dead,
or cooperative, Red-Bellied Woodpecker lying on a tray or
in-hand you could much more easily spot the reddish wash
on the lower underside of the bird. Another bird we have
that was named in this way is the Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter
striatus). You would have to get very close to one
to examine the leg shape to see why it got its name.
Habits
and Habitat
The
Red-bellied Woodpecker is a year-round resident in wooded
areas in the eastern half of the United States. This woodpecker
has only been a Minnesota bird since the late 1800s, their
range has expanded northward slowly over the years and continues
to do so. Red-bellieds nest in cavities that both male and
female help to excavate. Red-bellied Woodpeckers are very
vocal birds. One will often hear their loud churr -ing
call before the bird is seen.
Diet
Like
other woodpeckers the Red-bellied spends a lot of time foraging
for insects in or under tree bark, even during the winter.
They will eat berries and tree nuts when they are available.
Red-bellieds will frequent suet feeders and peanut feeders
year-round. They'll even pull sunflower seeds from Magnum
style feeders and visit fly-thru feeders full of Joe's
Mix or any sunflower seed mix.
Beacause
of their large size, Red-bellieds prefer larger suet feeders
and a log
suet feeder is a great way of drawing them
to you yard.
Listen
to the Red-bellied Woodpecker
copyrighted
audio file kindly donated by John
Feith
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