Red-bellied Woodpecker – 5/4/24
Observer: Paul Lauenstein
Observation Date: 5/4/24
Observation Time: 10:00 a.m.
Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary
Common Name: Red-bellied Woodpecker
Scientific Name: Melanerpes carolinus
Comments: Primarily a bird of the southeast, where its rolling calls are familiar sounds in swamps and riverside woods. Omnivorous and adaptable, this woodpecker has also adjusted to life in suburbs and city parks, and in recent years it has been expanding its range to the north. You can see the namesake traces of red on the belly in these photos, but they are not often visible in the field.
Red-bellied woodpeckers are often victims of European starlings. As many as half of all red-bellied woodpecker nests in some areas get invaded by starlings.
More Information: Cornell Lab of Ornithology “All About Birds”