The red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a medium-sized woodpecker native to eastern North America. They are found in forests across the eastern United States and parts of southeastern Canada. Red-bellied woodpeckers have a typical lifespan of around 5-10 years in the wild.
Typical Lifespan in the Wild
Most sources estimate the average lifespan of a wild red-bellied woodpecker to be between 5 and 10 years. However, they have been known to live longer in some cases. The typical lifespan depends on many factors:
- Predators – Red-bellied woodpeckers may get preyed upon by hawks, owls, snakes, and other predators, cutting their lifespan short.
- Food availability – Lack of food resources can lead to starvation.
- Weather conditions – Harsh winters, storms, etc. can make it harder for them to survive.
- Disease/injuries – Sickness and injuries from accidents can be fatal.
- Habitat loss – Deforestation diminishes their breeding and feeding grounds.
In ideal conditions with plentiful food sources and nesting sites, lack of predators, and mild weather, red-bellied woodpeckers can live into their late teens in rare cases. But the typical lifespan in the wild averages just 5-10 years.
Lifespan in Captivity
In captivity, red-bellied woodpeckers generally have a significantly longer lifespan than in the wild. With consistent access to food, water, shelter, and safety from predators, they can live upwards of 15-25 years in captivity. The longest known lifespan of a captive red-bellied woodpecker was 27 years at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Captive woodpeckers kept as pets should be provided with a very large aviary, plenty of room to fly around, trunks and branches for drilling and climbing, and a varied diet including suet, seeds, nuts, fruits, and insects. Proper veterinary care and disease prevention are also essential.
Appearance and Size
Red-bellied woodpeckers get their name from the distinctive reddish patch on their belly. Adult males and females have similar plumage except the male’s red belly patch is larger and extends higher. They have black and white barred backs, red caps on their head, and white rumps.
These medium-sized woodpeckers measure around 9-10 inches (22-25 cm) long with a wingspan of 15-18 inches (38-46 cm). They weigh 1.9-3.2 oz (55-90 g). Males tend to be slightly larger than females.
Distinctive Features
Some key features to identify the red-bellied woodpecker include:
- Mostly black and white barred back
- Bright red cap on head
- Red patch on belly
- White rump
- White breast
- White stripe down back
- Pointed black beak
- Long barbed tongue
- Strong claws for climbing
- Stiff tail feathers for support
Habitat
Red-bellied woodpeckers inhabit forests and woodlands across most of eastern North America. They prefer mature forests with large trees, especially dead trees and fallen logs which provide feeding sites and nesting cavities.
Some specifics habitats include:
- Open deciduous forests
- Floodplain forests
- Swamp edges
- Mature pine forests
- Pine savannas
- Partially cleared woodlots
- Parks and suburban areas with trees
They may be found up to 2,800 m (9,200 ft) elevation in the Appalachian Mountains but are more common at lower elevations.
Range
The red-bellied woodpecker has a large range covering the eastern half of North America. Their breeding range extends across:
- Eastern United States from Minnesota to Florida to Texas
- Southeastern Canada including southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia
Northern populations migrate southwards in winter. Their winter range includes most of the eastern U.S. from Massachusetts to Texas and parts of southeastern Canada. Isolated populations also occur in Newfoundland, California, and the southwest U.S.
Migration
Red-bellied woodpeckers are partially migratory depending on their breeding latitude.
- Southern populations from Arkansas to Florida are mostly year-round residents.
- Further north they migrate southwards in winter from as far north as Minnesota, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.
- Males appear to migrate slightly farther distances than females.
- They migrate during the night in small groups or singly.
Their winter range centers through the southeastern United States. Some northern individuals may wander outside the normal winter range on occasion.
Diet
Red-bellied woodpeckers are omnivorous, eating a wide variety of plant and animal material. Their diet includes:
- Insects – beetles, ants, caterpillars, grubs, etc.
- Other arthropods – spiders, centipedes, millipedes
- Tree sap
- Nuts and acorns
- Fruit – berries, oranges, apples, grapes, etc.
- Seeds
- Suet from bird feeders
- Eggs and nestlings
- Lizards
- Carrion
- Grains like corn, oats, wheat
Insects and other invertebrates make up the majority of their diet. They use their long, barbed tongue to extract insects from crevices in trees. Fruit and grains become more important in fall and winter. They visit feeders for suet, peanuts, and sunflower seeds.
Foraging Behavior
Red-bellied woodpeckers forage for food in a variety of ways:
- Gleaning – Removing insects and spiders from the surfaces of trees and branches
- Probing – Using their beak to probe into crevices and holes in wood to find insects
- Flaking – Prying off flakes of bark to access insects beneath
- Drilling – Drilling into trunks and branches to get to sap, cambium, and insect larvae beneath the bark
- Hawk-catching – Catching insects in mid-air
- Lapping – Lapping up sap from holes they’ve drilled
- Visiting feeders – Eating from suet, seed, and nut feeders
Their strong feet allow them to cling vertically or upside down. They often forage along trunks and large branches. Red-bellies are sometimes observed following tree-cutting machinery to prey on insects stirred up by the disturbance.
Nesting
Red-bellied woodpeckers nest in tree cavities they excavate themselves. The nesting process involves:
- Cavity excavation – Both sexes excavate the nest cavity in the trunk or branch of a dead tree or dead part of a live tree. Cavities are typically 10-60 feet high up. The entrance is 1.5-2 inches wide.
- Mating – Breeding occurs April-July with males attracting females with frequent drumming and displays near the nest cavity.
- Egg-laying – The female lays a clutch of 4-5 glossy white eggs over several days. Eggs are about 1 inch long.
- Incubation – Both adults incubate the eggs for 11-14 days until they hatch.
- Nestlings – Parents feed the naked, helpless nestlings for 25-27 days until they fledge.
- Fledging – Young leave the nest at around 4 weeks old but continue to be fed by the parents.
Red-bellied woodpeckers may raise 2 broods per breeding season, especially in southern parts of their range. After fledging, families stay together throughout fall and winter until the young disperse in spring to find their own territories.
Threats and Conservation
Red-bellied woodpecker populations declined in the early 1900s due to habitat loss from logging, but rebounded and increased their range northwards as mature forests regrew. They adapt well to many human-altered habitats and are currently very common.
Threats include:
- Habitat loss from development and logging
- Nest competition from European starlings
- Predation from hawks, snakes, squirrels, raccoons, etc.
But due to their ability to thrive around humans, red-bellied woodpeckers are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. Backyard birders can help conserve them by leaving dead trees and snags standing, and providing food and nest boxes.
Interesting Facts
- The “red-bellied” name is a bit misleading since their belly is pale pinkish-beige, not red. The bright red only extends partway down the belly on adult males.
- They get the name “woodpecker” from their habit of rapidly hammering on tree trunks with their beak, a behavior called drumming.
- Their tongue wraps all the way around their skull to cushion the brain from the forces of drumming.
- They use their sharp claws to cling vertically to tree trunks along with stiff tail feathers that act as a prop.
- They drum on trees to communicate, establish territories, and attract mates.
- Males and females may drum together in a duet.
- They help control forest insect populations by eating wood-boring beetle larvae.
- Red-bellies are known to take over nest cavities from other birds like sapsuckers and flickers.
- In one case, a red-bellied woodpecker nested in a backyard nest box for 15 years in a row!
- John James Audubon reported a red-bellied woodpecker nesting in a cavity in the mast of his ship docked in Florida in 1831.
Conclusion
In summary, red-bellied woodpeckers typically live 5-10 years in the wild and over 20 years in captivity. They inhabit mature forests across the eastern United States and southeast Canada. Omnivorous and highly adaptable, these medium-sized woodpeckers thrive in many human-altered habitats. Their future remains secure due to an ability to take advantage of backyard feeders and nest boxes. With a little help providing food, water and nest sites, red-bellied woodpeckers will brighten forests and neighborhoods with their colorful plumage and lively drumming for years to come.