9.25 inches long. The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker with a pale gray face, throat, breast, and belly. The back is zebra-patterned with black and white bars. The black wings are barred and spotted with white. The rump is white. The tail is dark with white bars in the middle. In flight the wings show white at the base of the primaries, appearing to be a crescent. The male has a red cap extending from the bill to the nape. The female has a red nape patch, gray crown, and red spot above the bill. The red belly is difficult to see as it is limited to a small portion on the lower belly at the base of the legs.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a common year round resident that breeds in the Forest.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker has been expanding northward and westward into our area. It seldom excavates wood for insects. Instead it forages for fruit seeds and arboreal arthropods. It will readily come to feeder for seeds, fruit, and suet. The call is a loud quavering “churr, churr”.
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