Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyraphicus varius)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

Return to Eastern Woodpeckers

Color Photograph: Copyright Corel Corp.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyraphicus varius)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 8.5 to 9 inches.

Male: Crown of head and chin bright red. Side of head white with a broad black stripe through the eye. Breast black bordered with yellow on either side. Abdomen white suffused with yellow. Wing black with a broad, distinct white stripe.

Female: Similar to the male, but chin black, not red.

Similar Species:  The large, distinct white bar on the wing will separate this species from other eastern woodpeckers.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker breeds throughout the boreal and mixed forest areas of the northeastern United States and Canada, westward as far as British Columbia. The species is resident all year through the northern Appalachians of West Virginia and Virginia.

Overwintering Range:  This species overwinters throughout the southeastern United States from Virginia in the north to tropical America in the south and westward as far as Texas.

Habitat: The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is found primarily in mixed woods during the breeding season. During the fall and winter it is found a wider variety of habitats including suburban areas, parks, and orchards.

Food: Tree sap and small insects.

Behavior: The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker gets its name from its habit of drilling parallel series of holes in trees and licking up the sap that flows from them. The birds also eat small insects attracted to the sap. This species is a shy bird and is less commonly seen than many other woodpeckers. The voice is quite, consisting of soft catlike calls.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 5 to 6 white eggs placed in a tree cavity.