the red-bellied woodpecker (melanerpes carolinus) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the picidae family .
it breeds in southern canada , northeastern mexico , and the northeastern united states , ranging as far south as florida and as far west as texas .
its common name is somewhat misleading , as the most prominent red part of its plumage is on the head; the red-headed woodpecker , however , is another species that is a rather close relative but looks quite different .
it was first described in linnaeus' systema naturae , as picus carolinus .
the type locality is given simply as "america septentrionalis" (north america) .
adults are mainly light gray on the face and underparts; they have black and white barred patterns on their back , wings and tail .
adult males have a red cap going from the bill to the nape; females have a red patch on the nape and another above the bill .
the reddish tinge on the belly that gives the bird its name is difficult to see in field identification .
they are 22.85 to 26.7 cm (9.00 to 10.51 in) long , and have a wingspan of 38 to 46 cm (15 to 18 in) .
red-bellied woodpeckers are noisy birds , and have many varied calls .
calls have been described as sounding like churr-churr-churr or thrraa-thrraa-thrraa with an alternating br-r-r-r-t sound .
males tend to call and drum more frequently than females , but both sexes call .
often , these woodpeckers "drum" to attract mates .
they tap on aluminum roofs , metal guttering , hollow trees and even transformer boxes , in urban environments , to communicate with potential partners .
babies have a high-pitched begging call of pree-pree-pree .
they will continue to give a begging call whenever they see their parents for a while after fledging .
these birds mainly search out arthropods on tree trunks .
they may also catch insects in flight .
they are omnivores , eating insects , fruits , nuts and seeds .
their breeding habitat is usually deciduous forests .
they nest in the decayed cavities of dead trees , old stumps , or in live trees that have softer wood such as elms , maples , or willows; both sexes assist in digging nesting cavities .
areas around nest sites are marked with drilling holes to warn others away .
though the species is not globally threatened , it depends on large trees for nesting .
in areas that are extensively deforested , the birds will sometimes utilize gardens , but for the most part simply will not be present in any numbers .
as with all animals , foraging becomes an important role in an animals ability to survive and reproduce .
the red-bellied woodpecker expresses foraging behavior by catching or storing food .
the woodpecker uses its bill for foraging as a chisel drilling into bark or probing cracks on trunk of trees .
in this manner , the red-bellied woodpecker is able to pull out beetles and other insects from the tree with the help of its long tongue .
this behavior is also seen for storing food from other animals by hiding food behind bark or deep in cracks of a tree .
according to studies from williams 1975, breitwisch 1977, and batzil 1979, the red-bellied woodpecker spent 20% to 69% foraging on dead or decaying trees .
in addition , williams 1975, breitwisch 1977, and batzil 1979 observed red-bellied woodpecker 80% gleaning and probing and 10% excavating on trees in south florida pine habitat .
the red-bellied woodpecker relies on snags or dying trees for foraging and nesting .
the red-bellied woodpecker is a major predator of the invasive emerald ash borer in the u .
s .
midwest , removing up to 85 percent of borer larvae in single infested ash tree .
predators of adult red-bellied woodpeckers include birds of prey such as sharp-shinned hawks and cooper's hawks , black rat snakes and house cats .
known predators of nestlings and eggs include red-headed woodpeckers , owls , pileated woodpeckers , gray rat snakes and black rat snakes .
when approached by a predator , red-bellied woodpeckers either hide from the predator , or harass it with alarm calls .
they defend their nests and young aggressively , and may directly attack predators that come near the nest .
in early may , the red-bellied woodpeckers begin breeding activities by drumming patterns; such as , slow taps followed by short rapid drumming .
woodpeckers depend on dead and drying wood for nesting purposes .
the male red-bellied woodpecker takes the initiative in locating a nest hole .
he will then seek approval from his female mate by mutual tapping .
the red-bellied woodpecker excavates holes in trees for nesting and roosting .
by excavating cavities , they play an important role in the forest communities for other species as well .
for example , species such as squirrels and bats use these cavities as shelter .
the female red-bellied woodpecker accepts the nesting hole by completing the excavation and entering the nest hole .
researchers have documented that red-bellied woodpeckers have the tendency to nest in clear areas with only few trees .
studies have indicated that close canopy areas does not impact the bird's nesting behavior; however , further studies are needed and are in progress .
red-bellied woodpeckers are territorial during the nesting season and they breed once per year .
a pair-breeding woodpecker begins nesting in april or may holding a year-round territories and showing high site fidelity .
red-bellied woodpeckers depend on dead trees for nesting .
recent studies have shown that these woodpeckers experienced low breeding due to cutting sites of dead trees; however , predators are still of main concern .
the juvenile red-bellied woodpecker are ready to fledge its nest at 24 to 26 days of age .
natal dispersal has been observed on juvenile red-bellied woodpeckers .
the juvenile red-bellied woodpecker remains approximately 27 weeks in its natal area after fledging .
in some cases , the woodpecker may return to its natal area for breeding depending on predation levels and food resources .
it has been noted that vocal signals in red-bellied woodpeckers is used to attract and communicate with potential mates .
a low "grr , grr" sound is observed in a pair of woodpeckers from the start of courtship until the end of the breeding season .
in an intraspecific conflict , the red-bellied woodpeckers usually make a loud "chee-wuck , chee-wuck , chee-wuck" sound .
as indicated by kilham 1983, the red-bellied woodpecker drums with its bill during conflict situation and taps to maintain pair bonding .
an example of a conflict event between red-bellied woodpeckers would be competing for the same mate .
nevertheless , the red-bellied woodpeckers are known to be in monogamous relationships .
