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Red-bellied Woodpecker (female)

Melanerpes carolinus

Photo by Tom15
Published on Project Noah
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42.6112, -71.5745

Field Notes

Description:

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are pale, medium-sized woodpeckers common in forests of the East. Their strikingly barred backs and gleaming red caps make them an unforgettable sight – just resist the temptation to call them Red-headed Woodpeckers, a somewhat rarer species that's mostly black on the back with big white wing patches. Learn the Red-bellied's rolling call and you’ll notice these birds everywhere. [Cornell]

Notes:

The female like this one has a gray patch on her head, while the male's head is a solid red crown. And the male has a pinkish/red wash on its belly.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (8)

Thanks Glen and Stefania!
Thanks Sachin and Glen. Over the past decade or so these woodpeckers have been moving north and have become common around here. We have a pair that comes to the feeders daily and eat the peanuts in the bird seed and the suet. One of my favorite feeder birds:-)

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