December 10, 2025

I am a female Red-bellied Woodpecker

Looking for bugs on a tree

If I were male, I'd be red

On the top of my head

But still wouldn't have a red belly.

(But if you look close, you can see just a hint of pink on the tummy.)

Location: Hallstrom Farmstead Conservation Area, Vero Beach

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/id

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

November 17, 2025

I'm a Red-bellied Woodpecker

I know I look disheveled to you

But I'm tryin' to get this lizard

Into my gizzard

But at the moment, he doesn't want me to.

Location: Jones Pier Conservation Area, Vero

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/do-all-birds-have-gizzards/

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

February 10, 2025

I am a female Red-bellied Woodpecker

The top of my head is not red like my mates

My belly is pink,

Not as red as you'd think

Bird names don't always match the bird's traits.

Location: Vero Beach Country Club

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/id

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

May 15, 2023

I am a male Cape May Warbler

I'm chestnut, black and yellow

This Red-bellied Woodpecker's checking me out

I think we'd make very strange bedfellows.

Location: Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area, Fort Lauderdale

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cape_May_Warbler/id

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

December 10, 2022

I am a Red-bellied Woodpecker

My mate awaits in the tree for me

We will drum on a tree together, 

Establish a pair-bond, and then we will breed.

Location: Riverside Park, Vero

Sources: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Melanerpes_carolinus/

What is a pair bond?

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

January 20, 2022

I am a Red-bellied Woodpecker

But from this view you might guess I'm Red-headed

But when I turn my head, my chin and face aren't red,

And my wings appear woven, or threaded. 

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-headed_Woodpecker/species-compare/

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

February 6, 2021

I am a Red-bellied Woodpecker

Though most people just look at my head

But sometimes, like now - if you look really close

You see that my belly's quite red.

Location: Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, Joe Michael Memorial Trail

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

December 24, 2020

I am a female Red-bellied Woodpecker

Shown here (at the top) with my mate below

Sadly, I am the one with male-pattern baldness

On top of my head, the red feathers don't grow!

Location: Fellsmere Grade Road, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/overview

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

November 14, 2020

On the left, there is a Red-bellied Woodpecker

On the right is a Northern Flicker

When comparing their shape, size and color -

Start with the beak - the flicker's is thicker.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/species-compare/60403261

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

October 30, 2020

I am a Red-bellied Woodpecker, 

I'm scratching my head on this tree

I might be trying to get rid of molting feathers

Or maybe ectoparasites are bothering me.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

Sources: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/ectoparasite#

https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Head_Scratching.html

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

October 16, 2020

I am a Red-bellied Woodpecker

I was altricial when I was born

My mom and dad took care of me for about 10 weeks

Then made me leave the nest - that's just the norm. 

Location: Fellsmere Stick Marsh

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altriciality
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Melanerpes_carolinus/

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

April 19, 2020

Location: Fellsmere, my house

I am a Red-bellied Woodpecker
I've got black and white marks on my back
I also have a long, sticky, pointed tongue
That I use to get bugs from crevices and cracks.

Sources: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Animal Diversity Web - Melanerpes carolinus red-bellied woodpecker

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

February 6, 2020

Location: Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area

I am a Red-bellied Woodpecker
In a rare pose where you can see my red belly
It's actually pink like cotton candy
Not red like raspberry jelly.

Sources: Cornell Lab All About Birds - Red-bellied Woodpecker

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

January 18, 2020

Location: Junny Rios Martinez Park, Cocoa

I am Red-bellied Woodpecker
Though my red belly is not always evident
But take a look at my forehead and crown
You will see the red there is quite prevalent.

Sources: Animal Diversity Web - Red-bellied Woodpecker

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

September 13, 2017

Location: Fellsmere, my yard

I'm a baby Red-bellied Woodpecker,
Shown here with my mom.
In addition to a sharp pointy beak,
We also both have a Gene Simmons-like tongue.

Sources: Cornell Lab - Red-bellied Woodpecker

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

January 23, 2017

Location: Fellsmere, Willow street

Red-bellied Woodpecker. This photo is heavily manipulated. It was starting to rain and I had to decide between settling for a mediocre picture of the day or letting $1500 of camera equipment get wet. I went with mediocre picture and snapped the first thing I saw. But the cool thing is, I was messing with the editing tools in iPhoto, and I realized that no matter what I changed, that brilliant red on the back of his head always showed up. So I made the photo a sillouhette, with the red crown.

Most beginning birders mistake any woodpecker they see that has red on it's head with a Red-headed Woodpecker. The Red-headed woodpecker literally has a red head¹ - his entire head, from the neck up, with the exception of his beak and eye, is brilliant red. All of the other woodpeckers that have red on their heads only have red accents (such as the crest and cheek on the Pileated²), with mostly black and white faces. There are also some woodpeckers such as female Hairy³ and Downy⁴ woodpeckers that don't have red on their heads at all.

Sources:
(1) Red-headed Woodpecker, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds
(2) Pileated Woodpecker photo, from my other blog
(3) Hairy Woodpecker, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds
(4) Downy Woodpecker, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

January 19, 2017

Location: Sebastian, North County Regional Park

This Red-bellied Woodpecker was nomming on some bugs on a tree until a grumpy Mockingbird chased him off.  I wish I could say something deep and meaningful about Red-bellied Woodpeckers, but sadly, a song that my dad used to sing to me¹ popped into my head. My honeybee was with me this morning, so I felt the need to serenade him with the song my dad used to sing to me. Things like this song being stuck in my head is why I never have and never will be able to accomplish anything in my life. "Take it out! Take it out! Remoooooove it!"

Sources: (1) If you really want to hear it, it's here, but just a warning, my dad was twisted old guy.

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson