Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Photos by Bruce Dayton - Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

ORDER: Piciformes
FAMILY: Picidae (Woodpeckers - 23 Species)
SPECIES: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker will mate with the same partner from year to year, as long as both survive. They are a shy bird, often moving to the opposite side of the tree trunk when approached. Compared to other woodpeckers they are very inconspicuous and make very little noise. They sometimes hybridize with Red-naped Sapsuckers. Because of the damage they do to trees, they are considered a pest, but are a protected species. Four sapsucker species ...
SIZE	The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a medium-sized (7 to 9") woodpecker.
DESCRIPTION	The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has a black head with white lines down the side and a red forehead and crown. They have a black back spotted with white, a pale yellow breast and upper belly and a conspicuous white wing patch. The males have a red throat patch. Females are similar to the males, but have a white throat patch.
NESTING	Clutch size ranges from 4-6 eggs, which are incubated in 12 to 14 days. They normally nest in a large cavity excavated high in a decaying (often diseased) deciduous tree. The same site may be used for several years.
RANGE	Their breeding habitat is forested areas across Canada, eastern Alaska and the northeastern United States. They migrate to the southeastern United States, West Indies and Central America.
HABITAT	The preferred habitat of The Yellow-bellied is young, mainly deciduous forests.
SPECIAL	Four sapsucker species inhabit North America: Williamson's, Yellow-bellied, Red-naped, and Red-breasted. The sapsucker bores numerous small holes (sap wells) in neat horizontal and vertical rows, with the rows spaced closely together. These holes are bored through the cambium layer of the tree; this allows the sap to flow from them. These holes leave an opening for fungi and bacteria to enter into the heart of the tree. This will damage and sometimes kill a previously healthy tree. Repeated returning and enlarging to these sap wells allows more cambium, inner bark and sap to be eaten. Such repeated attacks can girdle and kill branches or the entire tree.
DIET	The Yellow-bellied sapsuckers bore holes in trees, letting the sap run down the trunk. They suck (or lick) the oozing sap with their tongues and eat the cambium of the tree as well. They will return to the same holes many times, as long as the sap continues to run. They will also eat the insects drawn to the sap wells. Birch, Maple and Mountain Ash seem to be the preferred tree species for the Yellow-bellied in the States. In summer months they often feed on insects, such as ants, insect larvae, moths and butterflies in the trees and on the ground. In the late autumn months, fruit and berries become a significant part of their diet.

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.




Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Groton Township Tompkins County, New York


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Sapsucker Woods - Cornell Lab of Ornithology Tompkins County, New York


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Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes