What kind of Woodpecker? (1 Viewer)

[sheriffsmith]

Took photo's of this guy yesterday Feb 2nd in Southern Florida, Boca Raton to be exact and was not sure what species it was. My Sibley's shows both the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers with all white bellies and this guys is barred. You can see a small patch of red in a couple of the shots on his crown but it certainly was not a dominate feature I noticed while viewing this little guy. He was climbing and pecking at a Sabal Palm tree if that helps at all. Thank in advance to all!

 

[JANJ]

Hi sheriffsmith.

Your bird is a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

http://www.roysephotos.com/YellowBelliedSapsucker.html

Nice images!

JanJ

 

[steveo]

I agree with JANJ, look for horizontal rows of holes in trees very common result of sapsuckers.

 

[B Lagopus]

Howdy Sherriff, nice photos of a sapsucker at an interesting age! As JanJ and Steve said, it is a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. It looks different from adults you may have seen because it is a hatch year bird and is in the process of molting. YBs are late to molt from their juvenile browns to their adult black and white (the face still molting in February would be enough to ID the bird as a YB among sapsuckers, even if you were well west of Florida). Note the chin appears to be coming in white, so likely a young female there.

 

[lockbreeze926]

For a quick hit to determine these from Downy or Hairy, the messy not-quite-ladderback is useful.

 

[JANJ]

While we are at it with this lovely Woodpecker here´s some adult YBS, as yours being a first winter rightly pointed out by BL.

http://www.pbase.com/naturepics/expressions_of_a_yellowbellied_sapsucker

JanJ

 

[danehower]

sorry to swerve a little on this tread - but is that tree a palm tree ? - if so I am wondering what trees a Sapsucker prefers ? -If anyone knows ?

 

[KC Foggin]

Well, I will have to take a photo of the very messy Loblolly Pine trunk that my Sapsuckers have been working on. The trunk is almost white from all their drillings.

 

[danehower]

Well, I will have to take a photo of the very messy Loblolly Pine trunk that my Sapsuckers have been working on. The trunk is almost white from all their drillings.

Hey KC -
I kind of thought they really liked the pine trees :scribe: - Although , at my moms house they made swiss cheese out of an apple tree - also I would have to think that sugar maples would be a great way to start the morning for those little guys !:brains:

 

[AlexC]

sorry to swerve a little on this tread - but is that tree a palm tree ? - if so I am wondering what trees a Sapsucker prefers ? -If anyone knows ?

When I visited FL last Feb there were Red-bellieds on some of the palm trees. Cool stuff. *shrug*