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WoodlandCavity nestMedium · 70 g
What the Red-bellied Woodpecker sounds like
ID tip
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.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Red-bellied Woodpecker
One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Red-bellied Woodpecker
The map shades 2 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
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.
Easily confused with
Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusThe adult acorn woodpecker has a brownish-black head, back, wings and tail, white forehead, throat, belly and rump.
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusAdults are distinctly tricolored, with a black back and tail, a white belly and rump, and a red head and neck.
Golden-fronted WoodpeckerMelanerpes aurifronsThe golden-fronted woodpecker is 22 to 26 cm (8.7 to 10 in) long and weighs 65 to 102 g (2.3 to 3.6 oz).
Side by side: Acorn Woodpecker vs Red-bellied Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker vs Red-headed Woodpecker · Golden-fronted Woodpecker vs Red-bellied Woodpecker
Watch the Red-bellied Woodpecker on live cams
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