Downy Woodpecker

Female Downy Woodpecker

The length of the bill makes the difference - the Downy Woodpecker has a more modest bill than the Hairy Woodpecker. Males of both species have a red colored patch on the back of the head - the female (as shown here) has none. All together, we have seen Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Piliated Woodpeckers, and the most abundant for our yard, Downy Woodpeckers, a daily regular. The Wild Bird Center Website has a nice write-up on the Downy Woodpeckers. The suet feeders have made a big difference in attracting woodpeckers to our backyard.

For those feeders placed where squirrels can access them, the hot pepper suet has proven to be a good deterrent. We have also figured out that the suet feeders don't need their own hook, and can be doubled-up with a hanging basket - the birds seem to appreciate this since that configuration provides added landing areas to position themselves before latching onto the feeder (this is also a nice way to display a finch feeder - among hanging baskets). All of these are nice touches for enhancing the appearance of the garden while providing chow for our backyard birds.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker - The Latest

Red-bellied Woodpecker

I was just thinking today, when will I see a new bird in the yard - it happened this evening after dinner. A little earlier while we were finishing our meal, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird male came up to the large planter pots in front of our small deck landing at the patio sliding glass door (1) - for five six seasons we have only seen females, so this one didn't count as "new." But the the Red-bellied Woodpecker that swooped in and landed on the seed feeder was new, added to the sightings in previous years of Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers. All four of these birds are common in the eastern half of the United States, but is is good to see some additional diversity come our way. The only mystery, is why is it called "red-bellied?"(2) From the three angles of the photographs I took, no sign of red on the belly. It was interesting that the bird went for the seed feeder, rather than the suet feeder as the Downy Woodpecker does with regularity. That was the first thing Jan noted while we watched. When you consider the dreary clouded sky this evening and then add up all of the red we saw with the Red-bellied Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and the always-present Northern Cardinal male - it is a nice contrast.
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(1)Verbena seems to have been the attractant.

(2) For a discussion about the "red belly," go to the link here.