- Sphyrapicus varius
Identification
- At 8.5in (21.6cm), a medium-sized woodpecker
- Bold white patch on the side of the body (shows in flight)
- Like all woodpeckers, has zygodactyl feet and a sharp, chisel-like beak. Tongue has a brush-like (as opposed to barbed) tip.
Adult
- Red crown and (on male) throat
- Black and white patterning on body
- Bright yellow belly (for which the bird is named)
Juvenile
- Brown stripes on head
- Brown breast and flanks
Similar species
White patch on wing coverts sets sapsuckers apart from all other woodpeckers, male Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are distinguished from male Red-naped Sapsuckers only by the red nape spot and incomplete frame to red throat of Red-naped Sapsucker. Females are somewhat easier to distinguish, as they differ in these characters, as well as having quite different throat patterns (white in Yellow-bellied, red and white in Red-naped).
It is worth noting that any sapsucker in juvenal plumage after late fall must be a Yellow-bellied. Beware of rare hybrid Yellow-bellied x Red-naped Sapsuckers, and the occasional Yellow-bellied Sapsucker which may show a red nape spot.
Distribution
Found throughout much of eastern North America. Range also extends farther west through Canadian taiga.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Found in early-successional/mixed conifer forests. Prefers quaking aspen, birches, and maples for nesting and feeding.
Behaviour
Diet
Seemingly prefers certain trees for feeding, most notably birches and maples, as well as some pines. Drills small "wells" in the bark to reach sap. Appears to have special enzymes in its saliva which keep the sap flowing for some time, as the wells would seal themselves rapidly under normal conditions. Sapsuckers also fairly regularly eat insects (mostly through fly-catching), especially those which come to feed from their sap wells. Many other species of birds (including woodpeckers, warblers, and hummingbirds), as well as insects and mammals (such as squirrels and chipmunks), visit these wells for a sweet treat.
Breeding
Nest is a large cavity excavated in a deciduous tree, which can be reused for several years. Mating is for life with the same partner. They sometimes hybridize with Red-naped Sapsuckers or Red-breasted Sapsuckers where breeding ranges overlap.
Vocalisation
A nasal meow
In Culture
This bird is widely known for its lengthy and humorous name. This bird is also the symbol of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (and their lab at Sapsucker Woods, Ithaca NY).
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Yellow-bellied_Sapsucker
