Red-bellied Woodpeckers are the first birds that really caught my attention at the feeder. I always notice Northern Cardinals, but I always study the woodpeckers.
A casual glance at the feeder won’t always give these woodpeckers away. They like to wiggle around to stay on the outside edge of the feeder, prepared for a quick escape.
They often do need to escape the diving male finches that pester the feeding females, with whom the woodpeckers of both sexes seem comfortable sharing the feeder.
Males have a brilliant red crown and neck, which outline their head from wing to beak.
The females have a pale crown, and can have some brown around their eyes, but the sexes can sometimes look very similar in the shifting light of a sunny tree canopy.
The eponymous red belly of the woodpeckers, which is not always visible at the feeder.
This is the woodpecker’s typical position, with their tail feathers pressed against the bottom of the feeder for leverage. This helps stabilize the woodpecker, which is otherwise a bit too big to sit comfortably.
More on the aforementioned diving divas (House Finches) coming soon!
Note: This is a hobby blog! For scientific information about these birds, I recommend seeking resources from state/local government wildlife departments/websites, local bird club field guides, or used birding guides (easy to find at any used book store or thrift store). Note that climate and habitat changes may affect some information in older materials.
Leave a Reply