On Thanksgiving Day, 2009, I was in Waco visiting Joni's family. We had had a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch. Mid-afternoon, four of us (Joni, Monte, Karen, and myself) drove over to Cameron Park to walk around a bit. Along one of the trails that we hiked, we saw this Red-bellied Woodpecker high in a tree. It was rather far off for my lens; hence, the mediocre quality of the photographs.

However, it is clear enough that we ID'ed it as a Red-bellied Woodpecker there on the trail. The red on the head, the ladder-back, and the pale breast were the marks that make for the identification.

Once I got back to the house, I did some cropping and a bit of enhancement of the photograph. I lightened up the photograph which brought out the contrast between the colors on the nape of the neck and the crown of the head. This is a female Red-bellied Woodpecker. You can see that the red occurs only on the nape of the neck; in males, the red continues over the crown of the head all the way to the bill.

This photograph was taken just a fraction of a second after than the first on this page. The female Red-bellied Woodpecker has turned its head somewhat, allowing us a better look at the gray crown on her head. Also, note the bit of color--more an orange-red color than red--just above the base of the bill.

It's clear from this photograph how the woodpecker is using her tail as a support while pounding at the bark of the tree in her search for food.