A Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly 2 inches past the end of its beak. The tip is barbed and the bird's spit is sticky, making it easier to snatch prey from deep crevices or inside flowers.
Sometimes these birds will wedge nuts into bark crevices, then whack them into smaller manageable pieces using their beaks.
They will also use cracks in trees and fence posts to store nuts for later in the year.
The red on the head of the male runs from the nape, up and over the head to the bill.
In the right light, their red belly (for which they are named) will be evident.
Not to be confused with the Red-headed Woodpecker with an all-red head.
The red on the head of the female Red-bellied Woodpecker stops on the top of the head, leaving the forehead gray.
Faint red still shows up on her belly.
They are resident, non-migratory birds in the Eastern US
Opportunistic nest builders who drilled their nest hole under a "roof" of shelf fungi.
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