Red-bellied Woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinus

eBird describes the Red-bellied Woodpecker this way: Medium-sized woodpecker that is not well named; rarely is the slight red wash on the belly visible! Instead, note the black-and-white barring on the back and wings, plain buffy breast and face, and red nape. On adult males, look for the red extending onto the crown. In flight, look for the white rump. Found in forested and suburban areas, typically preferring deciduous trees. Slowly expanding its range northward. Visits feeders, especially for suet. Nests in cavities.  All About Birds provides this additional descriptive information about this bird:  Red-bellied Woodpeckers are pale, medium-sized woodpeckers common in forests of the East. Their strikingly barred backs and gleaming red caps make them an unforgettable sight – just resist the temptation to call them Red-headed Woodpeckers, a somewhat rarer species that’s mostly black on the back with big white wing patches. Learn the Red-bellied’s rolling call and you’ll notice these birds everywhere. 

I saw and photographed my first Red-bellied Woodpecker on the morning of February 7, 2021, at Berry Springs Park and Preserve near Georgetown, Texas.  I saw this colorful bird at two different spots in the park that morning.  Here are a couple of the photos I took.

Red-bellied Woodpecker at Berry Springs Park and Preserve, February 7, 2021.
Red-bellied Woodpecker at Berry Springs. I believe this is a female, since the red does not extend to the front part of the head. February 7, 2021.
In this shot, you can see the slight red wash on the belly. February 7, 2021.


“Cool Facts” About the Red-bellied Woodpecker from All About Birds:  

  • A Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly 2 inches past the end of its beak. The tip is barbed and the bird’s spit is sticky, making it easier to snatch prey from deep crevices. Males have longer, wider-tipped tongues than females, possibly allowing a breeding pair to forage in slightly different places on their territory and maximize their use of available food.
  • You may sometimes see Red-bellied Woodpeckers wedge large nuts into bark crevices, then whack them into manageable pieces using their beaks. They also use cracks in trees and fence posts to store food for later in the year, a habit it shares with other woodpeckers in its genus.
  • For birds that nest in cavities, nest holes are precious turf. Red-bellied Woodpeckers have been known to take over the nests of other birds, including the much smaller (and endangered) Red-cockaded Woodpecker. But more often they’re victims to the aggressive European Starling. As many as half of all Red-bellied Woodpecker nests in some areas get invaded by starlings.
  • You may occasionally see a Red-bellied Woodpecker flying quickly and erratically through the forest, abruptly changing direction, alighting for an instant and immediately taking off again, keeping up a quick chatter of calls. Scientists categorize this odd behavior as a type of play that probably helps young birds practice the evasive action they may one day need.
  • The oldest known Red-bellied Woodpecker was a male in Georgia, and at least 12 years, 3 month old when he was identified in the wild by his band.