Red-bellied Woodpecker

The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker with a striking zebra-striped black-and-white back and a vibrant red cap and nape. Despite its name, the red on its belly is very pale and often hard to see. They are active, vocal birds that frequently visit backyard bird feeders for suet, nuts, and seeds.

Striking bold black and white barring along the outer edges of the vane, with dark central shafts and a dark base.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous barbs along the vane with stiffened shafts, featuring a small, fluffy plumulaceous tuft at the very base.

Stiff, smooth, and rigid texture with a matte finish, engineered to withstand friction against rough tree bark.

Bold black and white barring on a stiffened tail feather with a sharp or slightly worn tip.

Deciduous and mixed forests, swamps, suburban parks, and wooded residential areas with mature trees.

Year-round resident throughout the eastern and central United States, extending from Florida north to southern Canada and west to the Great Plains.

Acts as an important cavity excavator that creates homes for secondary cavity nesters while helping control wood-boring insect populations.

Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, which feature similar black-and-white patterns but differ in size and specific barring details.

Despite the name Red-bellied, the red cap is often more prominent; they have a long, barbed tongue that can extend nearly 2 inches past their beak to extract insects.

Good condition with minor wear at the tip, typical of a naturally molted tail feather used for climbing.