Red-bellied Woodpeckers ( Melanerpes carolinus) are pale, medium-sized woodpeckers, familiar sights in the woodlands of the East. While their name might suggest a prominent red belly, it's their strikingly barred backs and bright red caps that truly catch the eye. Adaptable and omnivorous, these birds have a varied diet that allows them to thrive in diverse environments, from forests to suburbs.
Identification and Habitat
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are about 10 inches (25 cm) long, similar in size to the Hairy Woodpecker. Their backs are marked with narrow black and white bars, and they sport a buffy brown chest and face. The bright red stripe extends over the top and back of the head, though the female has less red. The red on the belly, despite the bird's name, is often difficult to see. In flight, they exhibit white patches on their wings and rump. Their calls are distinctive, often described as a chuck-chuck-chuck descending in pitch, or a loud, repeated churrrr.
These woodpeckers are most common in deciduous forests, particularly along rivers and in swamps. They also inhabit mixed coniferous and deciduous forests, and less often, pure stands of pine. They can be found in more open areas as well, such as forest edges, clearings, groves of trees in farm country, and even shade trees in suburbs.
Foraging Behavior
Red-bellied Woodpeckers forage by searching for insects on tree trunks and major limbs, often picking at the bark surface rather than drilling deeply. They climb and perch among branches to pick berries and nuts, and sometimes catch flying insects in the air. These woodpeckers have a barbed tongue tip that extends nearly 2 inches past the end of its beak, and are very sensitive to touch, which helps them detect and impale insect larvae.
Dietary Diversity
The diet of the Red-bellied Woodpecker is remarkably diverse, shifting with the seasons and available resources. They are omnivorous, consuming both insects and plant matter. The diet may be more than 50% plant material at some seasons, including acorns and other nuts, wild and cultivated fruits, and seeds.
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Insects
Like most woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers consume a large number of insects. They forage on tree trunks and limbs, seeking out insects and their larvae. Their diet includes invertebrates.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are a crucial part of their diet, especially during the fall and winter months. Acorns are a preferred food at this time of year. Red-bellied Woodpeckers exhibit a unique behavior of caching food year-round, but more frequently in the fall. They will pluck an acorn from an oak tree, fly to a tree or post, and press the acorn into a crevice. These cached food stores are then revisited throughout the winter.
Fruits and Berries
Wild and cultivated fruits, berries are readily consumed when available. They may feed on berry trees such as hawthorn or mountain-ash in fall or winter.
Other Food Sources
Occasionally, their diet includes tree frogs, eggs of small birds, oozing sap, nectar, and small fish. They have even been spotted drinking nectar from hummingbird feeders.
The Woodpecker's Bill: A Multi-Use Tool
The woodpecker's bill is a versatile tool used not only for food gathering but also for communication. While woodpeckers aren't known for their singing abilities, male woodpeckers use their bills to create drumming sounds to attract mates.
Read also: Diet and behavior of the Woodpecker Finch
Nesting Habits
Red-bellied Woodpeckers prefer to nest in forests or on forest edges with large trees such as parks, wooded suburbs, and yards. Nest site is in cavity excavated in dead wood (tree, pole, fence post, or stump), usually less than 50' above ground but can be as high as 120'. It takes only 7 to 10 days for a pair of red-bellied woodpeckers to carve a home in a dead tree. Male may begin excavating several holes, with female selecting which one is completed and used. Also may use natural cavity, abandoned hole of other woodpecker, or nest box. Red-bellied woodpeckers will occasionally use bird houses, best hung 8 to 20 feet high in a tree away from feeders and other disturbances. These woodpeckers are important nest providers for many other species. The holes they excavate in dead trees, poles, and fence posts are used by bluebirds, wrens, chickadees, and titmice to name just a few.
Conservation Status
Apparently the species was declining in some northern areas during the first half of the 20th century, but in recent decades the trend has reversed and it has extended its range to the north. Overall population seems stable or may be increasing slightly. While still not a common bird here in Simcoe County, the Red-bellied Woodpecker is slowly becoming a more common sight in our area.
Attracting Red-Bellied Woodpeckers
Red-bellied Woodpeckers bring bright colors and entertaining action to bird feeders. If you live near any wooded patches, you may be able to attract them using feeders filled with suet (in winter), peanuts, and sometimes sunflower seeds. Dead trees may encourage the birds to forage naturally or even nest in your yard. Water is essential to all birds and providing a bird bath means they don’t have to travel great distances to find water. Water in a bird bath should be cleaned regularly as birds defecate, leave bits of food and feathers in the bath, not to mention leaves and other items that can end up in a bath. In the winter heated birdbaths provide an excellent place for birds to drink. During the warmer months the WBU Water Wiggler creates moving water in your birdbath, making the bath even more attractive to birds.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
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