Red-bellied Woodpecker

1/160s at f8.0, ISO:1250, Canon Mark III 1Ds w/800mm, 1.4x converter


The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker. It breeds in southern Canada and the northeastern United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far west as Texas. These birds mainly search out arthropods on tree trunks. They may also catch insects in flight. They are omnivores, eating insects, fruits, nuts and seeds. Their breeding habitat is usually deciduous forests. They nest in the decayed cavities of dead trees, old stumps, or in live trees that have softer wood such as elms, maples, or willows; both sexes assist in digging nesting cavities. Areas around nest sites are marked with drilling holes to warn others away. Though the species is not globally threatened, it depends on large trees for nesting. In areas that are extensively deforested, the birds will sometimes utilize gardens, but for the most part simply will not be present in any numbers.
Medicine Creek, NE
 
07/08/2010