Earlier this month, I spotted a Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) on an oak tree outside our bedroom window. A few days later, as I was finishing my morning meditation on the deck, another woodpecker stopped by again. I was able to follow it from the crepe myrtle trees to a nearby oak tree.
These medium-sized woodpeckers are more common in the forests of the Eastern USA. However, they do occur in Texas.
The featured image shows three main characteristics of this woodpecker: the zebra-striped back, the continuous red cap that males exhibit, running from the base of the bill over the crown and down to the back of the neck, and the faint reddish-pink color on the lower abdomen. That last characteristic is not easily seen.
Although they can sometimes be seen hanging upside down as they extract food from tree bark, I got a kick when I spotted the acrobatics this woodpecker was going through to get some food.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Bird of the Week, Teravista, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
Linked to I.J. Khanewala’s Birds of the Week Invitation CLII.
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Tra Italia e Finlandia
Che bello, la zebra volante! 😃😉
Egidio Leitao
Grazie. Sono così carini.
solaner
based on the title, I somewhat expecte to see a butterfly 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Good. The title worked as far as raising your curiosity. 🙂
Bob Ramsak
Terrific photos. I particularly like the twisted acrobat in action.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Bob. I was surprised to what extent it did that.
Anne Sandler
Beautiful capture of a beautiful bird Egidio.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Anne.
shoreacres
After I learned to identify this bird’s call, I discovered there were more of them around than I’d realized. There’s one that favors the cypress trees in my yard. I assume their rough bark holds a feast of insects.
Egidio Leitao
As you can see in Twisted, these birds go to great lengths to get what they’re after.
I. J. Khanewala
Superb photos. Getting two features out of an identification checklist of three in photos is excellent. One seldom gets much better.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, I.J. Your feedback is much appreciated.
Steve Schwartzman
Do you know whether the zebra-striped back conveys any advantage to these woodpeckers?
Egidio Leitao
In my online searches, I did not see anything about that giving them any advantage.
Vicki
Beautiful photos of a stunning looking bird.
(I can’t help but wonder what those zebra striped feathers might look like under my microscope).
Egidio Leitao
Vicki, that would be awesome to see, I bet. Thanks for writing.
restlessjo
Such a good looking bird xx
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Jo. xx
Wandering Dawgs
Egidio, excellent captures of this woodpecker. I often see them on our palm trees. Years ago we had to replace some of the siding on our chimney because they liked the cedar board.
Egidio Leitao
That’s too bad. It’s sad when wildlife crosses with humans. Here, we have to cover all vents to prevent squirrels and other critters from getting into the attic. Thanks for your feedback.