West Virginia Red-bellied Woodpecker  West Virginia Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) The red-bellied woodpecker is about the size of the West Virginia cardinal, approximately 8.5 inches long.Medium-sized woodpeckerPale gray face, throat, breast, and bellyBack strongly barred with black and whiteBlack wings barred and spotted with whiteWhite bases to the primaries appear as white crescent in the hand in flightWhite rump and uppertail coverts with sparse dark markingsDark tail with black and white barring on the central retriciesAdult male: Red cap extending from bill to napeAdult female: Red nape patch, gray crown, and red spot above bill The West Virginia Red-bellied Woodpecker name is misleading since the red on the belly is rarely seen.
The red-bellied woodpecker makes its home in forests, as well as suburbs and parks and bore out cavities in dead trees where the wood is rotten and soft.
| Richwood |  | West Virginia |
General references:
(1) Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/infocenter.html
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Use this page for general Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) species description. |
