Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Summary 4
Red-bellied Woodpeckers are common, year-round residents of the Arboretum. These medium-sized woodpeckers have red caps and striking black-and-white striped backs. The red belly is nearly invisible - it's more like a pink spot between the legs. Red-bellied Woodpeckers tap for insects in tree bark much like other woodpecker species, but they also hunt for larger prey like lizards and even bird eggs. Listen for their loud "churr-churr-churr" calls, especially in early spring as they compete for good nesting trees.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Dawn Vornholt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/23399288@N07/4613787980/
- (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red-bellied_Woodpecker_-_Melanerpes_carolinus,_Occoquan_Bay_National_Wildlife_Refuge,_Woodbridge,_Virginia.jpg
- (c) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Melanerpes_carolinus_-John_Heinz_National_Wildlife_Refuge_at_Tinicum,_Pennsylvania,_USA-8.jpg
- Adapted by hancnaturalist from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanerpes_carolinus
