Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Red-Bellied Woodpeckers
By: Tom Berg
The red-bellied woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker that lives year-round in most of the eastern United States. Since it has bright red plumage on the back of its head, it is often confused with the red-headed woodpecker. However, its red-headed cousin has a completely red head (including its neck), and its back and wings have solid patches of black and white.
Adult red-bellied woodpeckers have a distinctive black and white barred pattern on their backs and wings, and they have a grayish-white throat and belly. They also have a very slight reddish tinge on their belly (hence the name), but it is difficult to see as they hop along tree trunks in search of beetles, ants and other insects. They are a little larger than an American robin.
During the warm-weather months, these colorful woodpeckers eat a wide variety of insects. They also eat acorns, nuts and fruits. During the winter they still manage to find insects that are hibernating under tree bark, but they also eat many different types of seeds to supplement their diet. Suet feeders will also attract them in the winter.
Red-bellied woodpeckers make a loud, distinctive call as they fly through the woods. They also communicate with other woodpeckers by drumming against tree trunks or other hard objects (like aluminum siding!). Males have been known to hammer away at the rate of 19 beats per second.
Another interesting fact about red-bellied woodpeckers is that their tongue can extend almost two inches beyond the end of their beak. That’s a long tongue! The tip of the tongue is also barbed, which allows the woodpecker to snag bugs from deep inside the cracks of tree bark as they hunt for food.
During the fall and winter, these woodpeckers often cache food like acorns and other nuts by wedging them into crevices in the bark of trees in their home territory. Then they come back later to retrieve them and eat them.
Red-bellied woodpeckers are fun to watch and photograph, so keep an eye out for them this winter!
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