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The Red-bellied Woodpecker is one of the most common woodpeckers in the Southeastern United States. While a Red-bellied woodpecker does have a slight red color to it's belly, they are more commonly known for the red hood that adorns the top of their head down to the base of their neck, causing some people to think that they are Red-Headed woodpeckers. Red-headed woodpeckers however are a completely different sub-species of woodpecker.

Red-bellied woodpeckers are quite distinctive. These woodpeckers are generally about 9 inches long with a wingspan of about 13-17 inches, making them one of the larger species of woodpeckers. They have dark eyes and a black bill, with legs and feet generally being dark gray. Their chests and bellies are white, with a red wash and their backs and tail feathers are black and white bars. The male species has an entire red hood, while the female has only a red nape.

Red-bellied woodpeckers are found in the generally in the southeastern part of North America. These birds are not considered migrating birds, however they often move further south of their areas during very cold winters. Red-bellied woodpeckers can live in a variety of places from dry woods to damp forests and even in many populated, suburban areas.

Red-bellied woodpeckers are omnivorous, meaning they eat both meat such as Arthropods or even lizards and small fish as well as fruits and seeds. Many people become aware of a woodpecker being nearby, by hearing it's rapping on trees. This rapping on the tree is the woodpeckers way of creating a hold to get to insects that are inhabiting the tree. An interesting fact about Red-Bellied woodpeckers, is that they will often store food in crevices and holes in trees or fence posts.

Red-bellied woodpeckers prefer to nest in holes in dead trees or limbs and they are quite aggressive when it comes to competing for nesting sites. They have been known to attack other woodpeckers, even to the death, to attain the nesting site they desire. They are not however, very aggressive when it comes to defending their nesting sites from other species, as Red-bellied woodpecker nests are quite often overtaken by European Starlings.

sources:
http://www.b irds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds /BirdGuide/Red-bellied_Woodpec ker_dtl.html

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