Red-bellied Woodpecker
(Melanerpes carolinus)

Where: Richmond, VA • Glidewel Rd.

Notes: There is something so fascinating about woodpeckers to me. Perhaps it is the niche they have found and adapted to so well, or maybe its the way they can cling to a vertical surface in search of food. They come in all sizes from the Downy Woodpecker at about six and a half inches, to the mid-sized Red-bellied at about ten inches and the larger Pileated, at nearly twenty inches long. They eat insects that they chip out of decaying wood, berries and also seeds. This species is often confused with the Red-headed Woodpecker, who's head is completely encircled in red from the shoulders up. These birds are easily attracted to most yards with suet, peanuts and sunflower seed. They also use their chissel-like beak to excavate their nesting cavity; usually in a dead tree. These cavities are often later used by different species, such as Chickadees and Bluebirds. I often have three or four different species of the woodpecker family within a short distance of my suburban property nearly every day. I hear their calls from up in the trees and look to see if I can spot a red-capped bird, peeking from behind the tree trunk.