Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are common backyard visitors across much of North America. Despite their name, their most noticeable feature is the bright red cap and nape on the head.

They frequently visit backyard feeders and enjoy a variety of foods including sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet. They are bold birds and often become regular feeder visitors when food is consistently available.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers have one of the broadest diets of any woodpecker — suet, peanuts, sunflower chips, nuts, and fruit are all eagerly consumed. They love berries and dried fruit more than most woodpeckers, making fruit-enhanced suets an excellent secondary offering. They're bold, vocal, and quickly become dominant visitors at suet and peanut stations.

Suet cages and peanut feeders are the foundation, but Red-bellied Woodpeckers will also visit hopper feeders for sunflower and nut blends. Mount suet at mid-height on a tree with a tail-prop platform. Their fondness for fruit means berry and nut suet is a great way to differentiate your feeding station. They're large enough to need sturdy feeder hardware.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers need mature hardwood trees — oaks, hickories, and maples are preferred — with dead snags for nesting cavities. They're more adaptable to suburban habitat than many woodpeckers and will thrive in neighbourhoods with large street trees and park-like yards. Berry and fruit-producing trees add extra appeal given their frugivorous tendencies. A nest box with a 6.5cm (2½-inch) entrance hole on a mature tree provides a nesting option where natural cavities are scarce.