Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
The Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a common woodpecker found in 2 countries, weighing about 70 g. The red-bellied woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae.
About the Red-bellied Woodpecker
The red-bellied woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae. It breeds mainly in the eastern United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far north as Canada. Though it has a vivid orange-red crown and nape it is not to be confused with the red-headed woodpecker, a separate species of woodpecker in the same genus with an entirely red head and neck that sports a solid black back and white belly. The red-bellied earns its name from the pale reddish tint on its lower underside.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Adults are mainly light gray on the face and underparts; they have black and white barred patterns on their back, wings and tail. Adult males have a red cap going from the bill to the nape; females have a red patch on the nape and another above the bill. The reddish tinge on the belly that gives the bird its name is difficult to see in field identification. White patches become visible on the wings in flight. Red-bellied woodpeckers are 22.85 to 26.7 cm (9.00 to 10.51 in) long, have a wingspan of 38 to 46 cm (15 to 18 in), and weigh 2.0–3.2 oz (57–91 g). Voice: Red-bellied woodpeckers are noisy birds, and have many varied calls. Calls have been described as sounding like churr-churr-churr or thrraa-thrraa-thrraa with an alternating br-r-r-r-t sound. Males tend to call and drum more frequently than females, but both sexes call. The drum sounds like 6 taps. Often, these woodpeckers "drum" to attract mates.
What the Red-bellied Woodpecker sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Red-bellied Woodpecker can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the Red-bellied Woodpecker on live cams
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Red-bellied Woodpecker?
- Adults are mainly light gray on the face and underparts; they have black and white barred patterns on their back, wings and tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Red-bellied Woodpecker?
- The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium sized bird weighing about 70 g.
- Where can you see a Red-bellied Woodpecker?
- The Red-bellied Woodpecker occurs in 2 countries, including the United States and Canada.
- What does a Red-bellied Woodpecker sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Red-bellied Woodpecker on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Red-bellied Woodpecker?
- The Red-bellied Woodpecker is most easily confused with the Acorn Woodpecker, the Red-headed Woodpecker and the Golden-fronted Woodpecker.
- Is the Red-bellied Woodpecker endangered?
- The Red-bellied Woodpecker is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Red-bellied Woodpecker for real
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