The Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a medium-sized woodpecker native to eastern North America. With its distinctive red belly and black and white barred back, it is a familiar sight at backyard feeders. But what other birds resemble the Red-bellied Woodpecker in appearance and behavior? Let’s take a closer look at some likely candidates.
Appearance
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is about 9 inches in length with a wingspan of 13-16 inches. It has zebra-striped black and white plumage on its back and wings, with bold black and white barring on its tail. The male has a red crown and nape, while the female has a gray crown and red nape. As the name suggests, this woodpecker has a reddish-pink belly, though the red hue can be tricky to spot at times.
Some key physical features to note are the white rump patch, black and white striped head pattern, medium size, and barred back and wings. Birds that share some of these same traits could potentially be confused with the Red-bellied Woodpecker by sight.
Behavior
In addition to appearance, the behavior of the Red-bellied Woodpecker provides clues about what other species are comparable. Red-bellied Woodpeckers predominantly eat insects, spiders, seeds, nuts and berries. They use their chisel-like beaks to hammer on trees in search of wood-boring insects and to excavate nest cavities.
These woodpeckers are fairly vocal, making rattling and rolling calls. They can also be drummers, using their beaks to pound on dead trees or other wooden surfaces as a means of communication. Red-bellied Woodpeckers are non-migratory, staying year-round within their breeding range in eastern North America.
Aspects of diet, cavity-nesting habits, vocalizations, drumming behavior and non-migratory nature are all potentially distinctive characteristics to look for in similar species.
Similar Species
Taking into account the Red-bellied Woodpecker’s physical attributes and behavioral tendencies, here are some birds that share common traits:
Red-headed Woodpecker
Like the Red-bellied Woodpecker, the Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a medium-sized woodpecker measuring 8-9 inches long with a wingspan around 16-18 inches. As its name denotes, the adult Red-headed Woodpecker sports a bright red head, neck and upper breast. It has a mostly black body, with white patches on the wing and a white rump patch.
Red-headed Woodpeckers share the Red-bellied’s barred black and white wings and back, as well as its diet of insects, seeds and fruit. Both species are year-round residents within their range. The Red-headed Woodpecker’s range reaches further west into the Great Plains compared to the more eastern Red-bellied.
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobates borealis) is another potential lookalike, though the physical similarities are more subtle. Roughly 8 inches in length, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker has black and white horizontal stripes on its back with small white cheek patches. Unlike the clean black and white patterns of the Red-bellied, the Red-cockaded has more speckling and barring throughout its plumage in black, white and gray tones.
Still, the Red-cockaded shares the distinctive white rump patch and exhibits the same tree-drilling habits. Its insect-heavy diet and cavity nesting are also consistent with the Red-bellied’s behavior. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is endemic to southeastern pine forests.
Downy Woodpecker
At only 6-7 inches in size, the Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is smaller than the Red-bellied but still shows some overlap in markings and behavior. The male Downy has a red spot on the back of its head, similar in placement to the male Red-bellied’s red crown. It exhibits the same black and white coloration on its wings and back, though its patterning is more spotted.
Like many woodpeckers, the Downy drills into trees for insects and makes cavity nests. It is also non-migratory and has a varied diet including seeds and berries. Though not a perfect doppelganger, the Downy Woodpecker shares enough visual cues and habits to potentially be mistaken for a juvenile or female Red-bellied at first glance.
Red-bellied Sapsucker
Given how close their names are, it’s easy to mix up the Red-bellied Woodpecker and Red-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius). But they are actually two distinct species. The Red-bellied Sapsucker measures about 8.5 inches long and resembles the Red-bellied Woodpecker with its black and white striped back, white rump and wing markings.
However, true to its name, the adult male Red-bellied Sapsucker has a ruby-red throat and forehead patch instead of a red head or nape. It also lacks the bold black and white barring on its tail that defines the Red-bellied Woodpecker. The Red-bellied Sapsucker’s feeding habits differ as well – it drills sap wells into trees and feeds on the flowing sap as well as insects attracted to it.
Hairy Woodpecker
At 9-11 inches long, the Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) is approximately the same size as the Red-bellied Woodpecker. Its plumage patterns are also similar, with black and white stripes on the head, white spots on the wings and back, and barred tail feathers. The male Hairy Woodpecker sports a red patch on the back of its head.
Though it lacks the distinctive red belly, the Hairy Woodpecker can still seem like a good match for the Red-bellied at first glance based on the shared patterning. Plus, it acts much the same, drilling into trees and feeding on insects, seeds and fruits. The Hairy Woodpecker’s range extends farther north and west into Canada and the Pacific Northwest than the Red-bellied’s range.
Red-bellied Woodpecker Lookalikes
Species | Size | Field Marks | Range |
---|---|---|---|
Red-headed Woodpecker | 8-9 inches | Red head, striped back, white rump | Central and southeastern US |
Red-cockaded Woodpecker | 8 inches | Spotted black and white back, small cheek patches, white rump | Southeastern pine forests |
Downy Woodpecker | 6-7 inches | Smaller size, spotted wings and back, red spot on male head | Widespread in US and Canada |
Differences Between Species
Though they share some visual and behavioral traits with the Red-bellied Woodpecker, each of these similar-looking species has some key differences:
– The Red-headed Woodpecker has a fully red head rather than just a red nape or crown. It also has a somewhat different facial pattern, with a pale bill and darker lores (region between eye and bill).
– The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is smaller than the Red-bellied and has a much more speckled, spotted appearance overall rather than clear black and white patterning.
– The Downy Woodpecker is noticeably smaller and shows more spotting on the wings rather than clear stripes. It also lacks the bold tail bars.
– The Red-bellied Sapsucker has a different head pattern and more muted plumage than the striking black and white Red-bellied Woodpecker. It also lacks tail barring.
– The Hairy Woodpecker is subtly larger with a more extensive white back and less defined wing stripes compared to the neat stripes of the Red-bellied.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is unlikely to be mistaken for any of these other species if seen well. But they do share enough similarities that they could potentially be confused at quick glance, particularly if lighting conditions are poor or viewing time is brief. Careful attention to field marks, silhouette and behavior will help distinguish between them.
Conclusion
With its distinctive red belly patch, boldly striped black and white plumage and medium size, the Red-bellied Woodpecker has a rather unique appearance among North American woodpeckers. However, the Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Sapsucker and Hairy Woodpecker show enough visual similarity and overlap in behavior that they could potentially be mistaken for the Red-bellied Woodpecker under certain conditions.
All are medium-sized woodpeckers with some element of black, white and red coloration and patterns. Most share the Red-bellied’s diet, tree drilling habits and tendency to excavate nest cavities. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker inhabits similar forested habitat in the southeast. While they may appear identical at a passing glance, each species differs from the Red-bellied Woodpecker in subtle aspects of size, precise plumage details, bill shape, geographic range and other characteristics.
So for a woodpecker that sports barred wings, a white-striped back, white rump and dash of red on its head, it’s worth taking a closer look to note any small differences that may distinguish whether the bird is in fact a Red-bellied Woodpecker or one of its lookalike cousins. Careful observation coupled with knowledge of field marks, behavior and preferred habitat will help correctly identify the species.