Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Last month I heard someone rapping on a tree, assumed I was seeing a Downy Woodpecker, and snapped a couple pictures before it flew off. Although Downies are photogenic enough, I was pleasantly surprised when I developed the pictures (days) later and discovered this was the Downy's larger, less common cousin, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

Like the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a small, mostly black-and-white woodpecker where the males can have some red on the head. But there are differences. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has red on the front of the head (both males and females) and red on the throat (only males) while the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers males have red on the back of the head. 

One thing you probably shouldn't count on is to find the yellow belly on the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. While they can have a pale yellow belly, it's sometimes pretty darned pale. And from a distance I'd be more inclined to describe them as off-white-bellied rather than yellow-bellied.

Sapsuckers don't really suck sap either, though they do get a fair amount of nourishment by licking up sap. I doubt the ornithology community will embrace it, but I suppose a more accurate name might be: Off-white-bellied Saplapper. 😉

March 21, 2022 at Duke Island Park
Photo 186773116, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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