red-bellied woodpecker
noun
red-bel·lied woodpecker
: a woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) of the eastern U.S. that has a barred black-and-white back, grayish-tan underparts tinged with red on the belly, and a red crown and nape in the male and a red nape in the female
Fifty feet from the nest I'm watching, a larger red-bellied woodpecker lands at another hole.—
Dan Guynn, Jr.
Dan Guynn, Jr.Examples of red-bellied woodpecker in a Sentence
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The songbirds most commonly affected include the American robin, blue jay, common grackle, yellowtail flicker, European starling, northern cardinal, house finch, house sparrow, Eastern bluebird, red-bellied woodpecker, and Carolina wren.
—courant.com, 10 Aug. 2021
By the way, this is an adult male red-bellied woodpecker.
—Teresa M. Hanafin, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Oct. 2022
The condition mostly affected songbirds, including the American robin, blue jay, common grackle, yellowtail flicker, European starling, northern cardinal, house finch, house sparrow, Eastern bluebird, red-bellied woodpecker, and Carolina wren, but had also spread to woodpeckers.
—Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 20 Aug. 2021
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courant.com, 10 Aug. 2021
By the way, this is an adult male red-bellied woodpecker.
—Teresa M. Hanafin, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Oct. 2022
The condition mostly affected songbirds, including the American robin, blue jay, common grackle, yellowtail flicker, European starling, northern cardinal, house finch, house sparrow, Eastern bluebird, red-bellied woodpecker, and Carolina wren, but had also spread to woodpeckers.
—Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 20 Aug. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Red-bellied woodpecker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red-bellied%20woodpecker. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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