| Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus |
They build a nest cavity and hatch 3-8 eggs The incubation period is 12-14 days It takes 24-27 days for fledgings In the north they have usually one brood per year In the south, they have two to three Barred black and white above; pale buff below and on face; sexes similar except that male has red crown and nape, female red nape only. Reddish patch on lower abdomen is seldom visible in the field. It is named for its least obvious field mark, a faint blush of red on the belly that is rarely seen, the red-bellied woodpecker is the largest common woodpecker of the eastern United States. It can be found in almost any wooded area, including suburban neighborhoods and parks. It is immediately recognized by the black-and-white zebra barring on the back and the red cowl, which is limited to the back of the head in females. Tolerant of humans, it is a regular visitor to feeders, favoring sunflower seed, suet, and fruit. Highly vocal, the most common call is a loud, rolling churr, less sharp than that of the similar red-headed woodpecker. They also make softer kek notes in short series, similar to the call of a flicker. Red-bellied woodpeckers have slowly extended t heir range north in the past fifty years and are now found to extreme southern Canada. The Red-bellied Woodpecker has a black-and-white barred back, which includes much of the wing. The head, undersides, rump, and central tail feathers are primarily grayish white in color. These woodpeckers have a pinkish wash to the belly that is difficult to see. Males have a red nape and crown, and, to a lesser extent, their forehead and lores are also red. Females have only a red nape and lores. In flight, the prominent white patch at the base of the blackish primaries produces a prominent white wing patch. Red-bellied Woodpeckers prefer to forage in deciduous trees, but they also forage on the ground. Males tend to forage along branches that are larger in diameter than the branches chosen by females. During the winter, Red-bellied Woodpeckers are primarily seed eaters, and often they are seen frequenting feeders. |
| Melanerpes carolinus L 9 ¼" (24cm) |
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