I thought it would be nice from time to time to share some of my favorite birds. Seeing it's winter and my red-bellied woodpeckers have returned to feed on suet and peanuts I thought I would start with them.
Named for the often and easily overlooked Rosy red belly patch. It mostly prefers shady woodlands but is no stranger to back yards in neighborhoods with plenty of trees. It can also be attracted with the proper sized nesting box.
The male (like in the picture) has a Zebra type pattern on his back with a white rump. It's red crown extends down the nape of the neck like a red Mohawk. It has a tan breast with a small amount of red on the belly which is often hard to see.
Female: Same as the male, but has a grey crown.
Breeding Period: April into July
Eggs: 4-5 without markings
Incubation: 12-14 days, by male and female. The female during the day, the male at night.
Nestling phase: 25-30 days
Fledgling: about 30 days could go longer
Size: 9 1/4"
Broods: 2 per year
Food: insects, nuts, fruit and will come to suet and feeders with nuts.
Migration: basically a non-migrator. Will move in search of food and may migrate south from northern range.
Other than using suet and peanuts to attract them to your yard you can also try providing a nesting box. The correct dimensions for attracting them are as follows.
Entrance Hole diameter: 1 3/4" to 2 3/4"
Height of hole above floor: 10"-14"
Inside floor dimensions: 5"x5" to 6"x6"
Total height of box: 14"-16"
Placement
Habitat: in or at the edge of woods
Height: 6'-20' up on a tree, fence, post or building.
The red-bellied woodpecker is truly a wonderful bird to watch in the back yard. Their range seems to be as far north as Michigan, as far west as Texas, as far south as Florida and finally all up the east coast.
If you live in a wooded neighborhood or in the country where your property is bordered by woods, this is definitely a bird you'll enjoy seeing.
If there are any birds you would like to see featured here please feel free to contact me via e-mail or by using the the comment section. If it's a bird that is not common here in Ohio, I'll be more than glad to research it and report my findings. Also anyone living out west where there's Golden Fronted woodpeckers or the Green Jays and have pictures you would like to send me, I would be more than happy to see them. I think they are two of the most beautiful birds I've seen pictures of but we are not fortunate enough to have them here in Ohio. I'll give my email address following this, and thanks again for checking in.
ohiohunter@windstream.net
8 comments:
That's a beautiful fella there. I'm sad that we never saw one when we had the camper in the woods back in Ohio. You would have LOVED to bird watch out our back windows. They faced the wooded part of our lot and we had birds singing and visiting all day long. The season opened in early April and ran through the end of October, so there was the chance of seeing all seasons as well.
Love,
Pone
Hmm, I'm going to have to hunt up the leftover suet I stuck in the freezer and put it out... especially today, when it's freezing rain and ice storm!
What a beautiful bird! Seeing a woodpecker in my yard excites me more than any other bird. I think it's because I've seen so few!
In 14 years of living in this house, I've only spotted woodpeckers a dozen times at most. I'm not terribly sure of the kind I've seen in my yard, but I think it's the Downy woodpecker. Try as I might, I've never managed to get a single picture. By the time I grab my camera, they're always gone. They never stay still long. :-(
I forgot to mention. I use a woodpecker blend suet in all of my cages, upside down feeder and suet log. I usually get Nutty Safari from Wal-Mart for I think about $1.88. Any nutty woodpecker blend will work. The downy woodpecker is the easiest to attract with suet, yet the hardest to get to take to a nesting box. I found that out after spending $40 on a box for them before researching it. Oh well there's always a chance. Also just about every other bird loves that suet as well.
I wish our temperatures got, and stayed, cold enough to be able to use suet! Our crazy Texas weather can go from freezing temps to those requiring air-conditioning in a day. That makes for some melty suet!
Renn....they sell suet that is dough now. It's made just for warm and hot weather. I use it here in the summer with pretty good success. Also most of the suet sold in department stores usually will hold up in temperatures through the 70s. In the summer I take the suet log down and just use a couple cages and an upside down feeder. The downy woodpeckers continue to come all summer.
That's good to know, Remington. Thanks!
ive only spotted one but he seems to come by everyday. he's a very picky and dainty eater.never stays by too long but responds to pishing. he doesnt seem to enjoy nuts, surprisingly, but enjoys idli.
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