Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusMelanerpes (Melanerpes Woodpeckers)
- SpeciesMelanerpes carolinus (Red-bellied Woodpecker)
About the Red-bellied Woodpecker
The red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae. It breeds mainly in the eastern United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far north as Canada. Though it has a vivid orange-red crown and nape it is not to be confused with the red-headed woodpecker, a separate species of woodpecker in the same genus with an entirely red head and neck that sports a solid black back and white belly. The red-bellied earns its name from the pale reddish tint on its lower underside.
The English naturalist Mark Catesby described and illustrated the red-bellied woodpecker in his book The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands which was published between 1729 and 1732. Catesby used the English name "The Red-bellied Wood-pecker" and the Latin Picus ventre rubro. When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he included the red-bellied woodpecker, coined the binomial name Picus carolinus and cited Catesby's book. Linnaeus specified the type locality as America septentrionali (North America). The locality is now restricted to South Carolina. The red-bellied... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Red-bellied Woodpecker in Everglades National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Everglades National Park
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus borealis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Red-bellied Woodpecker in Everglades National Park?
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Red-bellied Woodpecker sighting in Everglades National Park, based on 11,424 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Red-bellied Woodpecker in Everglades National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Red-bellied Woodpecker in Everglades National Park in our monthly data.