Named for a Wash:
Red-bellied Woodpecker The Red-bellied Woodpecker belongs to the boldly marked Melanerpes genus, a group of woodpeckers found only in the New World that includes Acorn and Lewis's Woodpeckers. The genus name derives from the Greek words for "black" and "creeper." Oddly enough, the Red-bellied Woodpecker is named for its least distinctive feature, a light wash of red or pink on its belly that can only be seen if the bird is hanging upside-down. Much more noticeable is the bright red patch extending from the top of its head, in the male, and down the back of the neck, in both sexes. This most obvious field mark leads many people to mistakenly identify the Red-bellied Woodpecker as which species? | |
