Red-bellied Woodpecker




Red-bellied Woodpecker


Red-bellied Woodpecker
(Melanerpes carolinus)

Order:  Piciformes
Family:  Picidae










Male Red-bellied Woodpecker
Photo © Gerald Marella

Red-bellied Woodpecker Information

Length:  9 - 10"

Habitat:  Primarily, mature deciduous forests; less frequently, coniferous or mixed forests; woodland edges, groves, orchards, residential areas.

Diet:  Insects such as ants, grasshoppers, and beetles. Acorns, beechnuts, corn, seeds, tree sap, wild fruits and berries.

  Calls & sounds of Red-bellied Woodpecker

Additional Information

Red-bellied Woodpecker
Description, foraging behavior, breeding, courtship, predation, conversation status, and vocalizations. (From Wikipedia)


Female Red-bellied Woodpecker

Female Red-bellied Woodpecker

Credit: Sheila Brown


Red-bellied Woodpecker
Identification Tips

  • Medium-sized woodpecker
  • Pale gray face, throat, breast, and belly
  • Back strongly barred with black and white
  • Black wings barred and spotted with white
  • White bases to the primaries appear as white crescent in the hand in flight
  • White rump and uppertail coverts with sparse dark markings
  • Dark tail with black and white barring on the central retricies
Adult male
  • Red cap extending from bill to nape
Adult female
  • Red nape patch, gray crown, and red spot above bill

(Credit: U. S. Geological Survey)


Red-bellied Woodpecker
Breeding Bird Survey Map,
2011-2015

Red-bellied Woodpecker Breeding Map

(Image credit: USGS)


Red-bellied Woodpecker
Range Maps from Cornell

Red-bellied Woodpecker year-round range.

Includes separate map of sightings. As shown on the sightings map, the range of this woodpecker is now moving further north in New England than what is shown on other range maps.


Red-bellied Woodpecker
Christmas Bird Count Map

Historical CBC Map from USGS