Outdoor Ontario

Photography => Ontario Birds => Topic started by: farmer on February 05, 2009, 01:06:28 PM

Title: Red Bellied Woodpecker
Post by: farmer on February 05, 2009, 01:06:28 PM

My parents have had a red bellied wood pecker visit their feeder. I was finally able to get a decent picture of it. I'm puzzled as to how it was named red "bellied" when it is it's head that is red??
(http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm317/applefarmer40/RBW2.jpg)
(http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm317/applefarmer40/RBW.jpg)
There was also a downy woodpecker. Photo was a little too dark, but you can see the snow falling in the background.
(http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm317/applefarmer40/DWP.jpg)

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Post by: Greg Schneider on February 05, 2009, 03:01:24 PM

Well there is the red-headed woodpecker, so I guess they couldn't call it that.  :lol: I agree, it doesn't resemble the name.

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Post by: Joe on February 05, 2009, 10:02:57 PM

Now THAT'S a backyard bird.  Thanks for posting.

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Post by: Pat Hodgson on February 06, 2009, 11:35:30 AM

When most of our birds were named, the scientists shot them and held them in their hands.  The red-bellied wp in fact does have some diffuse red in the lower belly area.  It is not so prominent as a field mark, but in the hand it is quite different from what other wp's have.  You can sometimes see it when they perch at a feeder, there is a hint of it there above the undertail area in your second photo.  Some birds show it more prominently, but it is never as sharp as the red on the head.

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Post by: farmer on February 06, 2009, 08:37:34 PM

Yes, I can see the red on the belly now that you point that out. It is neat how they use their tail to manouver; notice it is pushing on the bottom of the feeder.
The woodpecker that awed me the most was the pilated woodpecker. I saw one in the bush near Bancroft a couple years ago. Sorry, no picture. It can do some serious pecking with a bill that size!