Call it a red-belly and you won't be wrong

Some say the red-bellied woodpecker is a bird betrayed by its name. For most of us, most of the time, the red belly is nowhere to be seen. The flash of scarlet we notice is on the head or nape, not the underparts. Only when the bird is viewed in the right light and the proper angle — or when an early ornithologist held one lifeless in hand — does that faint blush reveal itself. Our instinct may even be to call it a red-headed woodpecker; however, there is a red-headed woodpecker, whose entire head is crimson and far more appropriately named. So how did they get their name? In the early 1800s, when Alexander Wilson described the species in his American Ornithology, he wrote, "The whole lower parts are of a dull white, tinged with red on the breast and belly." Wilson, like nearly every naturalist of his era, studied birds the only way he could — by killing them. He walked the American frontier with a musket, shot his specimens and then took meticulous notes and sketches. For me personally, it was a horrifying practice — one even shared by Audubon's own namesake. Warren Perry of the "National Portrait Gallery's Catalog of American Portraits" described John James Audubon's methods bluntly, "Today his process would be anathema to the society that now bears his name. Simple enough to describe, his process was to kill, clean, position and paint." Fortunately, by 1901 that practice was beginning to change. In "Bird Watching" magazine, Edmund Selous expressively reflected on his transformation: "For myself, I must confess that I once belonged to this great, poor army of killers, though, happily, a bad shot, a most fatigable collector and a poor, half-hearted bungler generally. But now that I have watched birds closely, the killing of them seems to me as something monstrous and horrible; and, for every one that I have shot, or even only shot at and missed, I hate myself with an increasing hatred." It was an atrocious practice, and by 1918 — with the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act — it became illegal to kill migratory birds. Binoculars had entered use in the mid- to late 1800s, and telephoto lenses (200–400 mm) became available in the late 1930s, though expensive and rare. It wasn't until the 1960s-1970s that zoom lenses became reliable and commercially available. This allowed scientists to study birds without killing them — though many still die naturally during migration, as lit cities often provide numerous specimens for study. The red-bellied woodpecker is a common backyard bird, often found enjoying suet. When we first began feeding birds at home, it was one of our earliest and most exciting visitors. It is a resident species, here year-round. Unlike the more northern red-headed woodpecker, this species is remarkably adaptable. It once kept mostly to the Southeast, but as forests regrew and the climate warmed, it expanded northward. Over the past century, it has become common across the Great Lakes, even reaching parts of southern Canada. Today, its population is stable or even increasing. Each spring, red-bellied woodpeckers excavate nest cavities in dead trees or large limbs, sometimes taking over old holes from flickers or other woodpeckers. We saw a couple in early spring one year at Cuyahoga Valley National Park making repeated trips to their cavity home, probably to feed chicks. The pair shares the work, chiseling an opening just wide enough to deter predators but spacious enough to raise a brood of four to five white eggs. Parents alternate incubation duties and feed the chicks a steady diet of insects, nuts and berries. They have a strong loyalty to the site — and to each other. Though similar, in males the red extends over the crown and down the nape. Females have gray crowns and foreheads. Pairs often remain together year after year, returning to the same territory if suitable snags are still available. Cavity nesters are one of the many reasons to leave those snags standing. The red-bellied woodpecker's diet reflects its adaptability. In summer, it eats beetles, ants and caterpillars from bark crevices; in winter, it raids acorn caches, suet feeders, and even the occasional bird feeder stocked for chickadees. Its long, barbed tongue can extend nearly two inches past the bill —perfect for snagging insects deep within wood. It has been known to hide nuts and seeds in cracks of bark. Occasionally, it catches small lizards or even raids other birds' nests. While its red belly — if you can see it — is distinctive and quite different from the red-headed woodpecker, many other woodpecker species share this red head and ladderback pattern, such as the ladder-backed woodpecker and yellow-bellied sapsucker. When we see a red-bellied woodpecker today, clinging to a suet feeder, its name becomes a reminder of how far ornithology — and ethics — have come. The birds that once had to die for identification now thrive because we protect them. Upcoming Black River Audubon Events Black River Audubon's November program will feature Genelle Uhrig presenting "Spying on Kestrels! American Kestrel Conservation at The Wilds." It will be held Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 7-0 p.m. at Carlisle Reservation. Join Black River Audubon Society on Saturday, Nov. 15, for a day of birds, nature, and film! We'll begin with a field trip to the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve from 9-11 a.m., exploring one of the region's best birding spots. Afterward, we'll head to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for the 12:20 p.m. showing of "Ohio: Wild at Heart," a stunning new film celebrating the state's wildlife and wild places. We're proud that Black River Audubon's Anya Poe is included in the film Museum admission is $25, which includes the movie (normally an extra $7) plus access to all exhibits and newly completed renovations. After the movie, we'll gather for lunch at the museum café around 1:30 p.m. (self-pay) and participants are welcome to stay and explore afterward — the museum is open until 5 p.m. Come for the field trip, the movie or both! RSVP appreciated but not required: ginaswindell@roadrunner.com.