Home, near and far.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is widespread throughout the eastern and central United States, extending south to Florida and north into parts of Canada. Its range has expanded northward in recent decades.
Birds Heard
FIELD GUIDE
FIELD GUIDE
Woodpeckers
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker found across the eastern and central United States. Despite its name, the reddish wash on its belly is often difficult to observe in the field. This adaptable species is known for its distinctive black and white barred back and rolling calls heard throughout the year.
ResidentMedium-sizedNoisy callsOmnivorous
Meet the neighborhood - Length
- 23-27 cm
- Wingspan
- 33-46 cm
- Weight
- 56-91 g
Typical adult measurements.
Individuals and populations vary.
01 / The telltale details
You’ll know it
when you see it.
Start with shape and behavior. Then look for the smaller details.
- 01
Back Pattern
Adults have a striking black and white barred pattern across their back and wings.
- 02
Head Coloration (Male)
Males display a prominent red cap extending from the forehead to the nape of the neck.
- 03
Head Coloration (Female)
Females have red only on the nape of the neck, with a gray crown.
- 04
Underparts
The chest and face are buffy brown, with a faint, often hard-to-see, reddish tint on the lower belly.
02 / A place in the world
Where life
takes it.
This species thrives in a variety of forested environments, including deciduous, coniferous, and mixed woodlands. It readily adapts to human-modified landscapes such as suburban areas, city parks, and riparian corridors.
Stay a while. Or follow the season.
Most populations are year-round residents. However, birds in the northernmost parts of their range may exhibit some seasonal movement, retreating south during colder winter months.
03 / Listen a little closer
A voice
of its own.
They produce a variety of calls, often described as rolling 'churr-churr-churr' or 'thrraa-thrraa-thrraa' sounds, along with a distinct 'br-r-r-r-t' call.
04 / The life behind the feathers
A day in its world.
On the menu.
An omnivorous and opportunistic feeder, its diet includes a wide array of insects, such as beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. It also consumes significant amounts of plant material, including acorns, nuts, wild fruits, berries, and seeds.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers forage by gleaning, probing, and excavating for insects in tree bark and crevices. They are known to wedge large nuts into bark to break them apart and will store food items in tree cracks and fence posts.
A place to begin.
Both sexes excavate nest cavities in dead trees or limbs, typically less than 15 meters above ground. The female lays about four eggs on a bed of wood chips, and both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
The little routines.
These woodpeckers are active and vocal, often clinging to tree trunks with their stiff tail feathers for support. They aggressively defend nest sites but can be displaced by European Starlings.
One more reason to pay attention
A familiar face.
A few surprises.
A Red-bellied Woodpecker can extend its sticky, barbed tongue nearly 5 cm beyond its bill to extract prey.
Males have longer and wider-tipped tongues than females, which may allow pairs to forage in slightly different areas.
They sometimes take over nests of other birds but are often victims of nest usurpation by European Starlings.
Behind these field notesResearch & references · 12 sources
AI-assisted species research. Prepared September 2026. Details can vary across regions and populations.