Still More Woodpeckers - The Red-Bellied

Okay, we discussed visits to the Habitat by a pair of pileated woodpeckers and many downy woodpeckers. So, let’s talk about the Red-Bellied Woodpecker.

This was the first woodpecker to be seen on a continuing basis in the Habitat. This first photo shows the red-bellied in his classic front-facing-tree-front pose. This woodpecker enjoys moving side to side around a tree trunk, which gives the impression that he is playing hide and seek.

The second photo offers proof that his woodpecker also will perch on a branch (a habit that we have seen with the downy and the flicker also).

For a long time, only males were seen. The males (seen in the first two photos) have a completely red head. The female, shown in the third photo, is similar to the male, except that she has a gray patch on the top of her head.

The fourth photo shows that the red-bellied woodpecker in deed does have a red belly. As noted at http://www.enature.com/home//, their “reddish patch on lower abdomen is seldom visible in the field.” In addition to frequently visiting the suet feeder, they will occasionally visit the sunflower seed feeder.