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Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus variusOrder: PICIFORMESFamily: Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Breeding Male Head Illustration

Head

  • Bill Shape: Dagger, All-purpose
  • Eye Color: Brown.
  • Head Pattern: Eyeline, Plain, Striped, Special (unique patterns or features)
  • Crown Color: Red
  • Forehead Color: Red with thin white stripe at base of bill.
  • Nape Color: Black with wide white stripe across back of neck.
  • Throat Color: Red
  • Cere color: No Data
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Breeding Male Body Illustration

Body

  • Length Range: 20-23 cm (8-9 in)
  • Weight: 51 g (1.8 oz)
  • Size: Size 2. Small (5 - 9 in)
  • Color: Red, White, Black
  • Underparts: White with pale yellow wash.
  • Upperparts: Black and white barring.
  • Back Pattern: Barred or banded
  • Belly Pattern: Solid
  • Breast Pattern: Solid
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Breeding Male Flight Illustration

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Alternates several rapid shallow wing beats with short glides.
  • Wingspan Range: 41-46 cm (16-18 in)
  • Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Squared Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Barred
  • Upper Tail: Black with white bars on central feathers.
  • Under Tail: Black
  • Leg Color: Gray
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Family Woodpecker (Picidae)_blue
Species Sphyrapicus varius
Length8 - 9 Inches
Wingspan17 Inches

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Medium woodpecker, black-and-white mottled upperparts, white rump, yellow-washed white underparts. Red throat, black border. Red crown, black-and-white striped face, neck. Dark wings have white shoulder patch. Black tail has black-barred, white center stripe.

● Song: "meow", "cheee-er, cheee-er", "hoih-hoih"

● Foraging & Feeding: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Feeds on sap, insects, fruits, and berries. Hammers trees for insects; also creates sap wells in bark to collect sap and trap insects; sometimes catches insects in mid-air.

● Breeding & nesting: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Four to seven white eggs are laid in a tree cavity lined with wood chips. Incubation ranges from 12 to 13 days and is carried out by both parents (male at night, female during the day).

● Similar species: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Red-naped Sapsucker has red nape.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid shallow wing beats with short glides.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Breeds across Canada east of the Rockies to southern Labrador and Newfoundland south to the northern U.S. from North Dakota to New York and Connecticut and south through the Appalachians to northwest Georgia. Spends winters in the southeastern U.S., the West Indies, and in middle and high altitudes of Central America as far south as Panama. Preferred habitats include deciduous and mixed woods in foothills and lower montane regions.
BreedingMonogamous, Loose colonies, Small colonies
PopulationCommon to fairly common
MigrationMigratory
Weight1.8 Ounces