Member Photo: Red Bellied Woodpecker

 Ed Coleman sent this short article on the Red Bellied Woodpecker.

Of all the birds that visit my feeder during Project FeederWatch, I enjoy the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) the most.  The brilliant red cap paired with black and white barred patterns on the back, wings, and tail give this bird a most elegant look against a gray winter sky.  Males and females are easily distinguished as males have a red cap from the nape to the bill, whereas females have a red nape and a tad of red above their bills, but no red on the crown.  As such, the Red-bellied Woodpecker in the photo can be easily identified as female.  So where does the name Red-bellied come from?  Well, both males and females have a reddish tinge on their lower belly.   This distinctive marking can be seen here in the photo as well, however, I’m not convinced that this particular woodpecker, like most others,  has enough red on the belly to justify its namesake.   Eastern US forests are the home of Red-bellied woodpeckers, but this species can be enticed to visit back-yard feeders with suet, peanuts, and sunflower seeds, if the feeder is located in or near a wooded patch.

Photo by Ed Coleman