Photos
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 Male Red-Bellied Woodpecker Photo taken by Pete Brown on February 6. 2005 in Gambrills, MD. Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ-10 at full zoom.
 Male Red-Bellied Woodpecker This is one of my favorite photographs. The sun really brought out his colors. Photo taken by Pete Brown on February 6. 2005 in Gambrills, MD. Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ-10 at full zoom.
 Male Red-Bellied Woodpecker Photo taken by Pete Brown on February 6. 2005 in Gambrills, MD. Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ-10 at full zoom.
 Red-Bellied Woodpecker and Juvenile The baby will watch how the adult picks at the suet, then they would both fly to the side of a nearby tree where the adult would feed the baby. This particular baby seems to be a slow learner. The other sibling is already feeding him/herself from the suet feeder. You can identify juveniles by the sound they make (more of a squeak) and by their gray heads. They also have a lighter color to their beak. The head on this baby is already starting to turn red. Photo taken by Pete Brown on July 10, 2003 in Gambrills, MD.
 Feeding Baby Photo taken by Pete Brown on July 10, 2003 in Gambrills, MD.
 Female Red-Bellied Woodpecker It is rare to see one on the ground, but the peanuts were too tempting. Photo taken by Pete Brown on February 2003 in Gambrills, MD. |
Birding Information
The Red-Bellied Woodpecker is one of the most colorful and vocal visitors
to our yard. Like the Downy and Hairy, it enjoys visiting the suet cage.
However, it will pick at the peanut feeder from time to time.
The Red-Bellied is more shy than the Downy, but not as shy as the Hairy.
Photographing this bird typically requirs either a long distance shot from our
back window, or spending a good amount of time out in the cold hiding behind a
tree. The February 6, 2005 photos were all hide-behind-the-tree shots. Like
most birds, the Red Belly is sensitive to eye contact. If you look at him/her,
you are likely to drive it back up the tree, a safe distance from any harm it
thinks you might have in store.
These are truly beautiful birds with their red heads and black and white
plumage. Their call is also unmistakable, and their "insane laughter" call is
pretty funny when you hear it.
General Information
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Length: 9 to 10 1/2 inches
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Wingspan 15-18 inches
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Family: Picidae
Identification (Male)
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Paly grayish-tan face and chin
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Red crown and nape
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Pale grayish tan underparts, with some light red
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Black and white barring on upperparts
Identification (Female)
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The female is similar to the male except that she has a gray crown and a red
nape.
Identification and size information from Birds of North America Eastern Regionby
Fred J. Alsop III, 2001 DK Publishing. I highly recommend this book as
there is a lot more information than I present here.
Additional References
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