Red-bellied woodpeckers do not display any discrimination when selecting trees for creating tree cavity nests. Among the trees where red-bellied woodpeckers build nests are oak, hickory, pine, male and poplar. They live in living and dead trees, often in forests surrounded by wetlands such as riparian and marshy areas. Rarely do these birds live at elevations higher than 2,000 feet. Some of Iowa's red-bellied woodpeckers live in suburban environments.
Insects, fruit and vegetation are the primary food items for the omnivorous red-bellied woodpeckers. They use their bills to detect where insects may be in a tree. A red-bellied woodpecker's tongue extends 2 inches past its beak, which enables it to find insects in hard-to-reach places. Red-bellied woodpeckers also use their tree cavity nests for storing acorns and berries. If an acorn or nut is too large, the bird will break it down into smaller pieces using its beak. In the winter, these birds usually feed on seeds, since insects and fruit are scarce.
Real estate in the forests is precious, which means red-bellied woodpeckers constantly have to defend their tree cavity nests from other birds. The red-bellied woodpecker's most common foe is the European starling. However, the woodpeckers are also guilty of invading the tree cavities of smaller birds. Juvenile red-bellied woodpeckers are often seen flying in erratic patterns. Some scientists believe this behavior is training for evading predators, according the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology.
Female red-bellied woodpeckers lay four to six eggs per breeding season. Both the male and female are responsible for incubation, or sitting on eggs to keep them warm. Since males hunt during the day, they are responsible for night incubation duties. After 12 days, the eggs hatch. In less than a month, juvenile red-bellied woodpeckers are able to fly. As soon as they can fly, they must leave their home. Red-bellied woodpeckers have an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years.