Red-bellied woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus

Abstract

This familiar, eastern U.S. woodpecker is an active and vocal species, with a preference for humid forests dominated by pines or hardwoods, or a mixture of both. It seldom excavates wood for insects; instead, depending on season, it forages opportunistically for a wide range of fruit, mast, seeds and arboreal arthropods. It is also known to take small or young vertebrate prey as well. The Red-bellied Woodpecker has expanded its range northward and westward in the latter half of the twentieth century. Most populations are resident year-round, although northern birds show some seasonal movement by retreating south during cold winters.

Citation

Shackelford, Clifford E.; Brown, Raymond E.; Conner, Richard N. 2000. Red-bellied woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus. In: Poole, A.; Gill, F., eds. The Birds of North America, No. 500. Philadelphia, PA: The Birds of North America, Inc. 24 p.