Red-bellied Woodpecker in July
Where red-bellied woodpeckers are in July, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
July in the Red-bellied Woodpecker's year
July is the quietest month for bird song but one of the busiest for bird life. Many species are on second broods, young birds from first broods are independent, and natural food — insects, ripening fruit and seeds — is abundant. In the far South the first southbound shorebirds are already moving.
For the Red-bellied Woodpecker specifically, July is a summer month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 34 states and provinces where red-bellied woodpeckers occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where red-bellied woodpeckers are in July
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- year-round resident
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In July, red-bellied woodpeckers are absent in the South, year-round resident across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in July
July is inside the Red-bellied Woodpecker nesting season — about a month earlier in the South and a month later in the North. Nest: excavated cavity in dead trees; occasionally large nest boxes. Clutch 4–5 eggs, incubation 12 days, 1–3 per season.
The southern nesting season has already wound down, but northern pairs are still raising young — the whole season shifts later as you go north. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in July
- Beetle larvae, ants and grasshoppers
A bold feeder visitor that also takes nectar and oranges. Cache-stores nuts in bark crevices.
Feeder traffic often dips as natural food peaks, but water becomes the big draw — a clean birdbath outpulls seed in hot weather.
Full Red-bellied Woodpecker diet guide → · Best feeder for red-bellied woodpeckers →
Watching red-bellied woodpeckers this month
In July, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
If you have a Red-bellied Woodpecker box up, watch from a distance for comings and goings — steady traffic means an active nest — the box guide below has the exact hole size and mounting height this species needs.
Red-bellied Woodpecker month by month
Red-bellied Woodpecker by state
Frequently asked
Where are red-bellied woodpeckers in July?
In July, red-bellied woodpeckers are absent in the South, year-round resident across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do red-bellied woodpeckers nest in July?
Yes — July falls inside the Red-bellied Woodpecker nesting season at mid-latitudes (a month earlier in the South).
What do red-bellied woodpeckers eat in July?
Beetle larvae, ants and grasshoppers.
Sources
- Red-bellied Woodpecker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-bellied Woodpecker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-bellied Woodpecker — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.