Red-bellied Woodpecker - Ross Feldner

This bird is a classic case of confused naming. Most people see the bright red patch on the head of the male and think Red-headed Woodpecker. Oddly, it’s named for an obscure feature on its belly, a very light bit of reddish pink that can only be seen when it’s hanging upside down.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers live across the United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far north as Canada.

They are very vocal with numerous calls including a churr-churr-churr or thrraa-thrraa-thrraa with an alternating br-r-r-r-t sound. Both sexes drum and call. The drumming sounds like 6 taps and is used to attract mates. They drum on hollow trees, and even on aluminum roofs, metal guttering and transformer boxes in urban environments.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers dine on insects, spiders, and other arthropods on tree trunks as well as eating fruits, seeds and nuts. Using their bill as a chisel, they drill into bark and probe cracks on tree trunks and then pull out beetles and other insects with their long tongue.

Teamwork. The male Red-bellied Woodpecker takes the initiative in locating a nest hole and will then seek approval from his mate by mutual tapping. The female accepts the nesting site by completing the excavation and entering the nest hole.Their nest cavities play an important role in forest communities for other species such as squirrels and bats who use these cavities as shelter.