Southeast Birds

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Description

The male Red Bellied Woodpecker is most recognizable by the red stripe that starts on his forehead and ends at the upper back. The rest of his face and chest are white or gray and he has a mostly hidden red patch on his belly. His beak is long and black and his legs and feet are gray. He has a beautiful black and white striped and checkered pattern on his back and wings. His inner tail feathers have a black and white barred pattern and the outer tail feathers are black.

The female is very similar to the male except the red stripe starts at the back of her head and ends at the upper back. She also has a reddish patch around her beak. Also, her beak seems to be a bit smaller than the male’s beak.

The juvenile has a yellowish stripe like the adults and a yellowish area around the beak and under the eyes. (continue reading…)