Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

Perhaps the most abundant woodpecker in North Carolina, red-bellies are familiar backyard birds. As you can see in this picture, there is actually a little reddish color on the belly, though this is far from the easiest field mark to notice.

Male, Chapel Hill, NC 4/30/05.

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)

Male, Chapel Hill, NC 3/4/06.

All photographs and text ©2013 by Will Cook unless otherwise noted.