Red-Bellied Woodpecker

The Red-Bellied Woodpecker enjoys relatively large populations in our area compared to other woodpeckers. If you offer them suet...they will come.

This male Red-Bellied Woodpecker is balancing very skillfully on our paddle suet feeder. You know this bird is a male because the red on top of his head goes from the top of his beak to the back of his neck.

This male Red-Bellied Woodpecker also feels comfortable on a smaller cage style suet feeder despite the fact he is larger than the feeder.

The Red-Bellied Woodpecker will wait patiently for other birds to vacate the feeder before swooping in, but once established there he will guard his position.

Pam Hamby contributed this wonderful photo of a male Red-Bellied Woodpecker staring warily at a chipmunk that has invaded the seed feeder. You can see the red on the bird's belly, hence the name Red-Bellied Woodpecker.

The Red-Bellied Woodpecker will feed from seed feeders as well as suet feeders. This female enjoys a mixture of millet and sunflower seeds. The patch of red on top of the female's head goes from the back of the neck to the top of her head.

So, if you offer feed to the birds you will most likely find a Red-Bellied Woodpecker or two visiting your yard!

(all photographs taken in Raymondale.)

Why a Raymondale bird blog? Dan and Beth Fedorko have been inventorying birds for Cornell University's Backyard Bird Count (www.feederwatch.org) which runs November through April each year. This inventory keeps track of migratory patterns, possible diseases, and decline and increase in bird populations. In response to the Raymondale Environmental Stewardship Task Force, we have started this blog which is separate from the general Raymondale news blog and more personal, to share our finds and photographs. If you see any birds in the neighborhood and surrounding parkland, please send us a photo! We'll help you identify it and might even post it on the blog!