birdgoods.com Woodpeckers

Wheezer's Notes:
Woodpeckers are not common at feeders but can be attracted to suet or our peanutbutter concoction. The two most common types to be seen in your backyard are the redbellied (pictured at left and below) and the redheaded woodpecker. These two are often confused since the redbellied actually has a swatch of red on his head too! The redbellied, however, has a touch of red on his underside that the redheaded does not.

The female redbellied is distuinguished from the male by the red swatch on the head. In the male redbellied, the red extends entirely over the top of the head. In the female the top of the head is not red. Photos of the female at bottom left clearly show this discontinuity in red on the head.

The juvenile redbellied has no red on its head at all (see photo below).

Range:
Map at right shows states (colored red) in which redbellieds were counted at a level of 11 or more over a significant area in the most recent Breeding Bird Survey. This information is from the USGS Patuxent Bird Identification Center, Redbellied Woodpecker.

More about Woodpeckers:
Red-bellied
Red-headed
Northern Flicker
Pileated