Red-bellied Woodpecker Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesRed-bellied Woodpecker
Male
Medium-sized black-and-white barred woodpecker with a pale belly. Males have a red crown and nape.
© Carl Giometti 🍹 / Macaulay LibraryIllinois, March 04, 2017Female
Medium-sized black-and-white barred woodpecker with a pale belly. Females have a red nape, lacking the red crown.
© Scott Martin / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, March 12, 2017Male
Most often the red belly is obscured by surrounding feathers and is difficult to see.
© mark kraus / Macaulay LibraryOhio, March 04, 2017Male
Found in eastern woodlands and suburban areas. Nests in holes in trees.
© Oscar Johnson / Macaulay LibraryLouisiana, March 18, 2017Immature
Immature is grayer overall than adults and lacks red on the head.
© Peggy Rudman / Macaulay LibraryOhio, June 24, 2019Male
Hitches up trees in search of insects. Found in woodlands and suburban areas.
© Anupam Khanna / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, May 07, 2017Similar SpeciesGolden-fronted Woodpecker
Male (Northern)
The Golden-fronted Woodpecker has yellow on the forehead and back of the neck unlike Red-bellied Woodpeckers.
© Becca Engdahl / Macaulay LibraryTexas, March 17, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-headed Woodpecker
Adult
The head on Red-headed Woodpeckers is entirely red, whereas Red-bellied Woodpeckers only have a red crown and nape. Red-headed Woodpeckers also have a solid (not striped) back.
© Jeff Stacey / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, July 05, 2015Similar SpeciesLadder-backed Woodpecker
Male
Ladder-backed Woodpeckers are smaller than Red-bellied Woodpeckers. They have black-and-white stripes on their face that Red-bellied Woodpeckers don't have.
© Edward Plumer / Macaulay LibraryTexas, February 20, 2016Similar SpeciesNorthern Flicker
Male (Yellow-shafted)
Northern Flickers have brown-and-black barred backs, not black-and-white like Red-bellied Woodpeckers. They also have spots on their bellies, whereas Red-belied have unmarked bellies.
© Warren Lynn / Macaulay LibraryIndiana, January 15, 2014Similar SpeciesDowny Woodpecker
Male (Eastern)
Downy Woodpeckers are smaller than Red-bellied Woodpeckers. They have a long white stripe down the middle of the back not seen on the barred backs of Red-bellied Woodpeckers.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, February 02, 2017Similar SpeciesHairy Woodpecker
Male (Eastern)
Hairy Woodpeckers have a long white stripe down the middle of the back and white stripes on their face unlike the barred back and plain-faced Red-bellied Woodpecker.
© Jean-Sébastien Guénette / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, February 26, 2016Search species and articles
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