Another of the all-year woodpeckers of Kentucky, the red-bellied woodpecker is the quintessential pecking forager, constantly burrowing into trees looking for insect meals.
It is perhaps the most carnivorous of its kin save for the red-heads, venturing to eat tree frogs and eggs along with the seed and plant-based diet common to most birds.
Their ‘red’ bellies are actually mostly grey or white save for a section of rose-colored feathers at the base of its body, from which it derives its name.
Their faces are also white, with a similar red color on the crown in the shape of a mohawk, and the typical black and white stripe pattern on the wings and back.
These birds congregate in the swampy marshlands to in the southeastern plains, and the western areas like the Cypress Swamp, though it is unnecessary to venture into these places if you have a well-stocked bird feeder.