Melanerpes is a genus of woodpeckers of the family Picidae found in the Americas. The 23 members of the genus are mostly colourful birds, conspicuously barred in black and white, with some red and yellow.

Primarily a bird of the southeast, where its rolling calls are familiar sounds in swamps and riverside woods. Omnivorous and adaptable, this woodpecker has also adjusted to life in suburbs and city parks, and in recent years it has been expanding its range to the north. Despite the name, the red on the belly is not often visible in the field.

The red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae. It breeds mainly in the eastern United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far north as Canada.

Learn the Red-bellied's rolling call and you’ll notice these birds everywhere. Keep an eye out for this species in eastern woodlands all year round, particularly at middle heights and along main branches and trunks of trees. It pays to learn the bird’s calls, too: Red-bellied Woodpeckers are loud and call frequently during spring and summer.

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.

Read about Melanerpes carolinus (red-bellied woodpecker) on the Animal Diversity Web.

Melanerpes is a genus of woodpeckers of the family Picidae found in the New World. It is included in the tribe Dendropicini and contains 24 species. Members of the genus are mostly colourful birds, conspicuously barred in black and white, with some red and yellow.

The golden-fronted woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in the southern United States (mostly Texas), Mexico and parts of Central America.

Medium-sized woodpecker that is not well named; rarely is the slight red wash on the belly visible! Instead, note the black-and-white barring on the back and wings, plain buffy breast and face, and red nape. On adult males, look for the red extending onto …

This familiar, eastern U.S. woodpecker is an active and vocal species, with a preference for humid forests dominated by pines or hardwoods, or a mixture of both. It seldom excavates wood for insects; instead, depending on season, it forages opportunistically for a wide range of fruit, mast, seeds and arboreal arthropods.