Red-bellied Woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinusOrder: PICIFORMES Family: Woodpeckers (Picidae)

Codes: Common Name: RBWO Scientific Name: MELCAR ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178195

Head

Topo Map: Tree-clinging-like Head

Bill Shape: Dagger, All-purpose
Eye Color: Dark brown in adults and juveniles.
Head Pattern: Plain, Special (unique patterns or features)
Crown Color: Red
Forehead Color: Red
Nape Color: Red
Throat Color: White
Cere color: No Data

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Body

Topo Map: Tree-clinging-like Body

Length Range: 23-27 cm (9-10.5 in)
Weight: 68 g (2.4 oz)
Size: Size 3. Medium (9 - 16 in)
Color: Tan, Red, White, Black, Gray
Underparts: White with some black spotting on lower belly.
Upperparts: Black and white barring.
Back Pattern: Barred or banded
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Solid

Flight

Topo Map: Tree-clinging-like Flight

Flight Pattern: Undulating flight with fairly rapid wing beats interspersed with periods of roller-coaster flight with wings folded.
Wingspan Range: 38-46 cm (15-18 in)
Wing Shape: Rounded-Wings
Tail Shape: Fan-shaped Tail
Tail Pattern: Barred
Upper Tail: Black and white barred.
Under Tail: Black
Leg Color: Gray

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker: Medium woodpecker, black-and-white barred upperparts, pale gray-brown underparts with indistinct red wash on belly. Head has bright red crown and nape, pale brown face. White rump, white wing patches, and white-barred central tail feathers are visible in flight.

● Song: "churr-churr", "querr-querr", "chuck-chuck-chuck"

● Foraging & Feeding: Red-bellied Woodpecker: Eats insects, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and sap from sapsucker drill wells.

● Breeding & nesting: Red-bellied Woodpecker: Three to eight white eggs are laid in tree cavity built by both parents, or in an abandoned hole of other woodpeckers. Incubation ranges from 11 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents (male at night, female during the day).

● Similar species: Red-bellied Woodpecker: Golden-fronted Woodpecker has black tail without white bars, yellow-orange nape, yellow patch at base of upper mandible, and indistinct yellow wash on belly.

Flight Pattern

Undulating flight with fairly rapid wing beats interspersed with periods of roller-coaster flight with wings folded.

● Range & Habitat: Red-bellied Woodpecker: Breeds from South Dakota, Great Lakes, and southern New England south to the Gulf Coast and Florida. Northernmost birds sometimes migrate south for winter. Inhabits open and swampy woodlands; comes into parks during migration and to feeders in winter.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationCommon to fairly common

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight2.4 Ounces

Tree-clinging-like Head

Tree-clinging-like Body

Tree-clinging-like Flight

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America