Melanerpes carolinus
Red-bellied Woodpecker
The loud, ladder-backed boss of eastern suet feeders.
Misleadingly named (the red is on the head; the belly blush is faint), the Red-bellied Woodpecker is the East's most conspicuous suet customer — big, vocal, and expanding steadily north. Its rolling churr is now a default winter sound from Florida to New England.
Range
Year-round throughout the eastern US, west to the central plains and north — after a century of expansion — into New England, the upper Midwest, and southern Canada's edge.
Seasonal habits
Resident all year, with suet visits heaviest from late fall through early spring. In fall they also cache food — expect one to hammer pieces of your cake into bark crevices for later.
How to identify one
- Zebra-barred black-and-white back; pale gray face and breast
- Male: red from bill to nape; female: red nape only
- Rolling 'churr' call announces arrival before you see it
At the suet feeder
Big enough to dominate a cake, Red-bellieds prefer sturdy, well-anchored feeders and also love peanuts and dried mealworms. If one claims your suet, add a second cake out of its sightline for the smaller birds.
Feeding one this winter? Homemade cakes beat store-bought — one part fat, one part peanut butter, three parts dry.
Suet cake recipe calculatorWhere to find the Red-bellied Woodpecker
| State | Status | Start suet by |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Arkansas | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Connecticut | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Delaware | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Florida | Year-round resident | December 1 in north Florida |
| Georgia | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Illinois | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Indiana | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Iowa | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Kansas | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Kentucky | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Louisiana | Year-round resident | November 15 |
| Maryland | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Massachusetts | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Michigan | Year-round resident | September 15 in the U.P., October 1 downstate |
| Minnesota | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Mississippi | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Missouri | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| Nebraska | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| New Hampshire | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| New Jersey | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| New York | Year-round resident | September 15 upstate, October 1 downstate |
| North Carolina | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| North Dakota | Year-round resident | September 1 |
| Ohio | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Oklahoma | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Pennsylvania | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Rhode Island | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| South Carolina | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| South Dakota | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Tennessee | Year-round resident | November 1 |
| Texas | Year-round resident | November 15 in the north and Hill Country |
| Vermont | Year-round resident | September 15 |
| Virginia | Year-round resident | October 15 |
| West Virginia | Year-round resident | October 1 |
| Wisconsin | Year-round resident | September 15 |
FeederDates › Suet › Species › Red-bellied Woodpecker