Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Florida native

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Red-bellied woodpeckers are the most common woodpecker in Florida. The range extends throughout most of the eastern United States.
They are medium sized woodpeckers at 23.5 cm (9-1/4 in.) long with a wingspan of 40.6 cm (16 in.). Bodies are a very pale brown with a pale red lower belly and a striking red nape (back of head and neck). Wings and back are black and white barred, the rump has a white patch with black speckles. Females lack red on top of the head.
In south Florida red-bellies have less white on the rump and the males have a brownish patch on the forehead.

Melanerpes carolinus is a member of the Picidae - Woodpeckers and Wrynecks family.

Other species of the Melanerpes genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
  Melanerpes erythrocephalus - RED-HEADED WOODPECKER

iNaturalist profile for this species

For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology web page for this species

Date record last modified: Feb 28, 2025