Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2006
by loz on January 23, 2006 11:06 AM
Thanks for the picture ![[thumb]](im/graemlins/thumb.gif)
...I love woodpeckers.
Ever since they discovered my suet feeder they've been eating me out of house and home....![[Big Grin]](im/biggrin.gif)
...I love woodpeckers.Ever since they discovered my suet feeder they've been eating me out of house and home....
by Thornius on January 23, 2006 12:30 PM
After the Downy Woodpecker, these are the MOST common woodpeckers to come to feeders.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by Oui on January 23, 2006 09:56 PM
I see a LOT more Downy then Red-bellied...Not sure why that is..All the woodpeckers are hitting one suet feeder...I have 4 and it appears they have not touch any of them except that one...hummmmmmm
by Thornius on January 24, 2006 02:57 AM
That is typical, Oui. You rarely see Red-Bellied at feeders, even though they are the second most common of the Woodpeckers. Birds have a favorite feeder that they ALWAYS use and will not use ANY other feeders even if their feeder is EMPTY and all the others are full!!!
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by Bestofour on January 24, 2006 07:54 AM
Now, this is one bird I see a lot. Thanks for the picture.
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http://www.picturetrail.com/bestofour 
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http://www.picturetrail.com/bestofour
by loz on January 24, 2006 08:05 AM
Thornius, could you do me a favor? Could you start a post for me and post a picture of the different types of woodpeckers.....I'd like to see them all in one place....I'd really appreciate it. ![[grin]](im/graemlins/grinnnn.gif)
by Thornius on January 24, 2006 12:36 PM
There are hundreds of different kinds of woodpeckers on Earth but I can put the ones I know Best and some of the more unusual ones, Loz.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by loz on January 24, 2006 10:10 PM
Wow, there are hundreds? ![[shocked]](im/graemlins/shock.gif)
I was thinking maybe 6 or 7 different kinds tops. I'd appreciate any pictures that you have of them though--I find that fascinating.....Thanks Thornius. ![[kissies]](im/graemlins/kissies.gif)
I was thinking maybe 6 or 7 different kinds tops. I'd appreciate any pictures that you have of them though--I find that fascinating.....Thanks Thornius.
by Oui on January 24, 2006 10:27 PM
Well, I thought by putting pics up of each bird that I see...As I see them. Then adding little information re the bird and the types of PLANTS that attract them to try to make my topics fit the forum better...You know......Bird and Butterfly Gardens...
hummmm...K
hummmm...K
by Thornius on January 25, 2006 01:59 AM
That is a GREAT idea, Oui!
I'm already working on the Woodpecker pictures, Loz, I have some of U.K. Woodpeckers, too. My friend on Birders World Forum, dlee, posted pictures of a male and female Downy he took yesterday, and I stole them! I'll try to get a picture of the young ones too, and do that for each species.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
I'm already working on the Woodpecker pictures, Loz, I have some of U.K. Woodpeckers, too. My friend on Birders World Forum, dlee, posted pictures of a male and female Downy he took yesterday, and I stole them! I'll try to get a picture of the young ones too, and do that for each species.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by loz on January 25, 2006 02:52 AM
That really is a great idea Oui....
And thanks again Thornius...![[wavey]](im/graemlins/wavey.gif)
Just remember you should only post 3 pictures at a time in one post.
And thanks again Thornius...
Just remember you should only post 3 pictures at a time in one post.
by Thornius on January 25, 2006 03:53 AM
THREE!!! ![[scaredy]](im/graemlins/scaredy.gif)
I THOUGHT IT WAS 3,000!! ![[nutz]](im/graemlins/nutz.gif)
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
I THOUGHT IT WAS 3,000!! * * * *
A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by slredmond on February 25, 2006 01:05 AM
Thornius - what is the woodpecker that looks very much like the pileated except MUCH smaller? We have had one adopt us this winter. Very bold - our feeder is next to the drive way, and we can walk or drive by him and if he's attacking the suet he's too busy to worry about humans. We're in SW Michigan.
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Sandy R.
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Sandy R.
by Thornius on February 25, 2006 01:50 AM
You probably have a Downy Woodpecker. They are one of the most frequent visitores to feeders, especially suet feeders, in the U.S. Pileated are crow-sized and have a red head crest like a Cardinal or Blue Jay. Downys have a round, smooth head with NO crest and are about the SIZE of a Cardinal. Here is a picture of male Downy Woodpecker taken by my friend, dlee, on the birdersworld.com forum.
MALE DOWNY WOODPECKER - DLEE
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
MALE DOWNY WOODPECKER - DLEE
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by loz on February 25, 2006 02:14 AM
Aww he looks so cute!
That's the type I've noticed around here before.
That's the type I've noticed around here before.
by Thornius on February 25, 2006 02:36 AM
There's another woodpecker that's found in the same area as the Downy called the Hairy Woodpecker. The two species are virtually IDENTICAL in every way EXCEPT, the Hairy is a little larger and the bill of the Hairy is about 3/4 the length of the head whereas the bill of the Downy is about 1/4 the length of the head. So to distinguish the two we look First at the bill/head ratio and SECOND the body size. The Downy is also about 3 times more common than the Hairy, and although the two species are always found near each other they NEVER interbreed.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by Thornius on February 25, 2006 02:43 AM
Here is a comparison Photo I just got off Google Image Search showing a comparison of a male Downy Woodpecker on the left and a male Hairy Woodpecker on the right. Look at the difference in the bill-to-head length of the two woodpeckers.
DOWNY WOODPECKER (LEFT), HAIRY WOODPECKER (RIGHT) MALES
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
DOWNY WOODPECKER (LEFT), HAIRY WOODPECKER (RIGHT) MALES
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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by slredmond on February 26, 2006 01:27 AM
What a terrific picture! But... looks like the same size, however our friend has a bit of crest. I'll try to get a picture of him the next time he stops by for dinner.
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Sandy R.
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Sandy R.
by slredmond on March 01, 2006 11:14 PM
OK - I had a senior moment. Our boy is the downy - he doesn't have the crest as I remembered.
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Sandy R.
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Sandy R.
Search The Garden Helper:
Range: Throughout the Southeast
Habitat: Any wooded area including urban wooded areas or scrub areas.
Food: Wood boring insects, will hunt in the lawn for beetles, ants and grasshoppers. Will come to feeders for sunflower seeds, corn, suet and nutty suet.
Plants that attract Red-bellied Woodpeckers: any berry bushes, any nut trees, fruit trees.