One of our ‘ladder backed’ or ‘zebra backed’ woodpeckers, the red-bellied is about half the size of the Pileated Woodpecker. ‘Red-Bellied’ is a misnomer as this bird has a light colored belly with only a tinge of red feathers. A cavity nester, the red-bellied excavates round holes in trees, usually returning to the same tree to excavate a new nest below that of the previous year. All woodpeckers have stiff, spiny tails that they prop against a tree for support and legs with four toes.

Latin Name: Melanerpes Carolinus

Habitat:Pine flatwoods, Oak Hammock

Diet: grasshoppers & other insects, acorns, fruit