The name of the red-bellied woodpecker, however, is quite misleading, as it is not the belly of this species of woodpecker that is red at all, but the cap of its head. Unfortunately, the name “red-headed woodpecker” was already taken by a close relative in the woodpecker family, so the red-bellied woodpecker had to settle for something slightly less descriptive. They are quite attractive birds, however, with gray or tan feathers on their faces and bellies and white and black barred patterns on their wings. They are also quite petite birds, only reaching lengths of about 10 inches and with wingspans no more than 18 inches long.

Like most, if not all woodpecker species, the red-bellied woodpecker is most known by its loud vocalizations and drumming behaviors. Both males and females will both call and drum, communicating with others of their species who are nearby. Males, however, do have a tendency to drum more than females, and this behavior is often associated with the attraction of a mate. These intense vocalizations start almost at birth for these woodpeckers, as babies will call for food from their parents when they are just fledglings.

When feeding, a red-bellied woodpecker will use its incredibly strong beak as a powerful tool, either probing into cracks in the wood or drilling its own holes when no cracks exist. Once food has been located, the woodpecker will use its long tongue to pull it out, usually feeding on either small insects or food previously stored by other animals deep within the wood. Like many other birds, red-bellied woodpeckers will then exhibit foraging behavior themselves by later storing this food in their own private locations.

Red-bellied woodpeckers also depend on dead and decaying wood for other reasons, such as for nesting, breeding, and shelter from potential predators. Because they are so small, they have many potential predators in the Everglades and surrounding suburban areas, such as hawks, owls, snakes, other species of woodpeckers, and even house cats. However, despite their small size, red-bellied woodpeckers are known to be quite territorial and fiercely protective over their nests, and will get aggressive with predators many times their size when watching out for their young.

While fewer red-bellied woodpeckers are being seen in southern Florida theses days, they can still be spotted occasionally by birdwatchers in the Everglades and by families on Everglades airboat tours. In fact, this is one bird species that can be found on an Everglades swamp tour that you’ll likely hear coming before you see it!

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While domestic turkeys and wild turkeys are the same species, domestic turkeys are raised specifically for their poultry and other uses while wild turkeys are able to take their chances in the open, though they still risk being hunted for their game meat. Because of the differences in their environments, domestic turkeys tend to reach sizes of almost double that of wild turkeys, though collectively they are the largest species of the Galliformes. The average adult male turkey (called a “tom”) weighs between 20 and 25 pounds, though males weighing in at over 30 pounds are not rare.

Wild turkeys have proven to be highly adaptable to most environments that provide both a dense plant community and a scattering of openings such as fields and marshes. Temperature doesn’t seem to be too much of an issue, and for this reason, wild turkeys can be found as far north as Michigan and as far south as Florida and even into Central America. In Florida, wild turkeys most enjoy the bald cypress swamps of south Florida and the hardwood hammocks of northern and central Florida.

While there are a few natural predators of wild turkeys in and around south Florida, such as panthers and great horned owls, human beings are, not surprisingly, the wild turkey’s greatest predator. And although wild turkeys are game hunted throughout Florida and much of the United States, this does not mean that they all go down without a fight. While not aggressive in most situations, adult turkeys can act aggressively towards humans in self-defense or when their habitat is threatened.

Surprisingly, wild turkeys have very powerful legs and can chase at up to 25 miles per hour, in addition to being powerful fliers. One of the major differences between domestic turkeys and wild turkeys, is that although they are the same species, only wild turkeys have retained the ability to fly. Domestic turkeys are bred to be meaty and fat, and the additional weight prevents them from taking flight. Additionally, wild turkeys have excellent eye sight that is estimated to be three times better than human eyesight, and wild turkeys, though omnivores, are excellent hunters by land or air.

For the possibility of seeing wild turkeys in their native environment, take an airboat ride through the Florida Everglades this summer. Not only can you see many of the Everglades’ winged and feathered residents from an airboat tour, but you can see many of the fish, lizards, and amphibians that make their home here too.

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