The Red-bellied Woodpecker is frequently heard and seen on tree trunks as well as at seed and suet
feeders in backyards, especially during the winter months. It is increasingly common on Cape Cod making noisy vocalizations and drumming sounds in breeding season. This attractive woodpecker can be identified by its red crown and nape along with a fairly long bill. It is typically 9-10 inches in length with a 15-18 inch wingspan. It has black and white barring on its back with a pale grayish tan face and underparts.
Frequently found in the southern part of the United States, the Red-bellied is scarcer farther north but has expanded its breeding range northward in recent decades to the southern border of
Canada. Joan Walsh serves as the coordinator of the Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas for Mass Audubon. Her fascinating new data shows there are currently 156 species of birds breeding on Cape Cod. This represents an increase from the prior atlas survey. “Walsh spoke before a packed house at the recebt monthly meeting of Cape Cod Bird Club at Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster. The early results from the current atlas reveal that the Cape has welcomed breeding turkeys, American bitterns, turkey vultures, Cooper’s hawks, willets, upland sandpipers, barred owls, red-bellied woodpeckers, Acadian flycatchers, warbling vireos, Kentucky warblers and clay colored sparrows since the last atlas was completed in 1979,” according to Rich Eldred in a recent article in The Cape Codder.
David Sibley provides an excellent overview about woodpeckers and their drumming noises. In his book, The
Sibley Guide to Birds, he states that “all woodpeckers tap their bills rapidly against wood to proclaim their territory and attract mates; this “drumming” replaces the song in most species.” So, you might ask, what protects the woodpecker from head injuries? An online article at enature.com explains how woodpeckers strike a tree with their bill, how their brain fits in their skull, and how muscles in their head provide further protection. Who would have guessed!! Click here for a few more recent images.
Enjoy,
Craig Gibson
Woods Hole
Frequently found in the southern part of the United States, the Red-bellied is scarcer farther north but has expanded its breeding range northward in recent decades to the southern border of
David Sibley provides an excellent overview about woodpeckers and their drumming noises. In his book, The
Enjoy,
Craig Gibson
Woods Hole
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