Appearance
Photo credit: Jessica Moore/FWC
A medium-sized woodpecker with black-and-white bars across its back, a red cap on its head and gray cheeks. A male’s red cap extends from the back of its neck to its bill, and the female’s is just down the back of its head. They may be confused with red-headed woodpeckers, which are a different, less common species that have a fully red head. The “red-bellied” part of their name refers to a small patch of red feathers on its gray belly that is usually not visible.
Habitat
Red-bellied woodpeckers are very common, found in forests ranging from cypress swamps and pine flatwoods to oak hammocks. They are also often seen in suburbs. Like all woodpeckers, they’re usually limited by a lack of suitable nesting sites such as dead trees (also known as snags). However, in the absence of snags, these adaptable woodpeckers will use less-suitable sites such as wooden utility poles, fence posts, soffits, and decorative EIFS (exterior insulation and finish system) elements on structures.
Behavior
Photo credit: Jessica Moore/FWC
Like all woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers are active most during the day and are experts at working with wood. Special adaptations to their bills, skulls, feet, and tail feathers allow them to drill without injury and to cling easily to vertical surfaces. They can do many things with their bills, ranging from finding food in tree bark to communicating with other woodpeckers. Besides insects, they are also known to eat fruits, nuts, and small animals like anoles and frogs. Males tend to forage on the trunks of trees, and females tend to focus on higher tree limbs.
In the spring, male red-bellied woodpeckers attract the attention of potential mates by tapping and drumming with their bill near an either fully or partially excavated nest cavity. A female signals interest by mutual tapping, and if the female accepts a partially excavated cavity, she will help him in finishing it. Eggs hatch after about 12 days of incubation and young are ready to fly about 24 to 27 days later. Sometimes woodpecker pairs are able to raise two broods of chicks over the spring and summer months. Outside of breeding season, red-bellied woodpeckers are typically solitary and territorial.
Living with woodpeckers
Woodpeckers are vital for protecting tree health in forests and for providing vital habitat for many other species. In preparation for nesting season, woodpeckers can engage in behaviors that may disrupt our everyday routines. Woodpecker males loudly “drum” on metallic objects like gutters to advertise their presence to potential rivals and mates. They can also peck at reflective surfaces like mirrored windows and doors, confusing their own reflection for a rival bird they’re trying to drive away. These behaviors typically last a few weeks and will go away on their own. If the behavior continues to persist, people can scare off the bird with motion-activated devices or by covering the reflective surfaces with tarps so the bird cannot find its “rival”.
Sometimes woodpeckers may excavate structures in search of food or shelter. Most commonly, this is done to create a nest cavity. Should this happen, keep in mind that woodpeckers and their active nests (containing eggs or chicks) are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. On rare occasions, insect-riddled wood might be attractive to woodpeckers, whose foraging creates lots of small foraging holes. This can be prevented by keeping up with building maintenance and pest control schedules for wood-eating insects. For general tips on preventing and resolving issues with woodpeckers, see the Additional Information below.
Woodpeckers can be an enjoyable neighborhood visitor to observe. To sustainably support woodpeckers and other wildlife in your area, follow FWC's guide to creating wildlife habitat at home.