Melanerpes carolinus

A permanent resident of North Carolina, the Red-bellied Woodpecker is named for its red-tinged abdomen. However, this woodpecker is more easily identified in the field by the bright red feathers on the back of its head. Females (shown here) and males can be distinguished from one another by the amount of red on their heads. The red hood of a male Red-bellied Woodpecker extends from his forehead to the back of his neck; the female’s hood is only on the back of her neck. These striking birds dine on a mix of insects, seeds and fruit and are common winter visitors to backyard bird feeders.

Cool Links:

Red-bellied Woodpecker - species account from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Red-bellied Construction - YouTube video of a pair of woodpeckers constructing their nesting cavity, captured by Gayle Schmidt of birdpatrol.org.

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photos: Paris Trail