Red-bellied Woodpecker - Photos by Bruce Dayton - Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

ORDER: Piciformes
FAMILY: Picidae (Woodpeckers - 23 Species)
SPECIES: Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

Red-bellied Woodpecker
The Red-bellied Woodpeckers are relatively aggressive in defense of their nest sites as they compete against other woodpeckers, but the European Starling is very aggressive and can easily drive them from their nesting cavities. Most Red-bellied Woodpeckers respond to the Starlings nest usurpation by excavating a new one in a nearby tree. Sometimes they avoid the situation altogether by delaying nesting until the starlings have started nesting.
SIZE	The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium sized (8-10") woodpecker.
DESCRIPTION	The Red-bellied Woodpecker is light gray on the face and underparts. They have black and white barred patterns on their back, wings and tail and reddish markings around their bill. The male has a red cap going from the bill to the nape of his neck. The female has a red patch on the nape of her neck and a red area around the bill. The red on the belly is difficult to view in the field.
NESTING	Clutch size ranges from 3-7 eggs, which are incubated in 12 to 14 days. They nest in a cavity in a dead tree, which both the male and female excavate. The bottom of the cavity is typically lined with several inches of wood chips.
RANGE	The red-bellied woodpecker can be found in most of the eastern United States, except for northern New England. They are normally permanent residents but may wander or change location in extreme weather. Birds in the extreme northern part of the range may migrate in the winter.
HABITAT	They habitat open deciduous and mixed wood forests and swampy woodlands.
DIET	These birds search out insects on tree trunks. They may also catch insects in flight. In addition to insects, they also eat acorns, beechnuts, fruits, and seeds. They are known to sometimes store food in a tree cavity.

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.




Red-bellied Woodpecker

Groton Township Tompkins County, New York


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Female	Male

Red-headed Woodpecker Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes