Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Picidae
The medium-sized suburban woodpecker whose name confuses everyone — the red is on the belly (subtle, hard to see) and the whole head is red, particularly on males. Range has been expanding northward for decades; now common in NJ backyards across the state. Frequent at feeders taking sunflower and suet.
How to spot one.
9–10 inches — larger than a Downy or Hairy Woodpecker
Zebra-striped black-and-white back
Red cap (males have red from bill to nape; females only from crown back)
Pale belly with subtle pinkish-red wash (the 'red belly' — often invisible in the field)
Long straight bill
What it sounds like.
Rolling, laughing 'churr-churr-churr' — a sound you'll learn quickly. Also a shorter 'kwirr!'
How it lives.
Cavity nester in dead or dying wood. Caches food (nuts, seeds, insects) in bark crevices. Excellent bug-hunter — extracts wood-boring larvae with a barbed tongue that extends beyond the bill.
The spec sheet.
- Status
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 9.4 inches
- Present in NJ
- Year-round
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- stable
- Family
- Picidae
What it eats.
Diet often shifts dramatically between breeding season and the rest of the year — especially for insectivorous birds that pivot to native berries in fall and winter.
Summer / breeding season
Insects, spiders, caterpillars
Wood-boring beetle larvae
Berries, small fruits
Fall / winter
Acorns, beechnuts, cached food
Sunflower seeds and suet at feeders
Persistent berries and dried fruit
What it needs.
Native plants that feed this bird or provide shelter. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Native oaks (Quercus)
Fruit / berry source
American beech, hickory
Fruit / berry source
Dead standing trees (snags)
Cover / habitat
Fruit / berry source
Audubon Field Guide · All About Birds (Cornell)
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