With some regularity, I’ve observed about three (3) woodpecker species in my backyard—The Red-Headed Woodpecker, the Pileated Woodpecker, and the lesser advertised Red-Bellied Woodpecker. Surprisingly though, the latter of these is the only one to be represented on the TOP 15 Spotted Birds by Birdwatchers of Alabama. This fact led me on a little quest to learn more about my red-bellied friend so I can understand him/her better when they “come-a-knockin’.”
THE RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER
The most common woodpecker in the southeast, the Red-Bellied Woodpecker is about nine to ten inches tall with a wingspan of 13 to 17 inches. The name would indicate a strong “red” presence on the belly but at best the reddish hue “might be” present as a very light red or pinkish color. Males typically have a strong red on the crown of the head and neck while the females “might” have a bit of red on the nape.
Although I love to see the bright red contrasting with the formal suit of black and white, I have to admit, just as charming to me is the song and sounds of this visitor—very distinguishable—almost tropical sounding with its rolling song and rhythmic hammering on wood. Here is a brief sample of their rolling trill. In fact, I attempted to capture this feeling in poetry as shown below in a detailed view of the artwork.
Red-Bellied Woodpeckers are found throughout most of the eastern United States, except for northern New England. Birds in the northern part of the range may migrate south in extremely cold winter months. Throughout Alabama, they are common and sometimes permanent residents.
An interesting but not necessarily obvious feature of the woodpecker is their feet! They have two toes forward and two toes back. Unlike many other birds with three toes forward and one toe back. This characteristic helps them climb upright up tree trunks—the perfect position for hammering, boring, plucking and tucking the bark to find or even store food within the crevices. The Red-Belly’s diet consists of both fruit and insects—but more fruit and berries. It’s not uncommon for them to hang upside down while feeding on berries. Again—thanks to atypical feet!
It’s comforting to know that our Creator—the One watching over the most fragile creatures—watches over us.
“...and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever; He who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. —Psalm 136:24-25”