Red-breasted Sapsucker

Red-breasted Sapsucker, adult

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Red-breasted Sapsucker, juvenile

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a denizen of the coniferous forests of the northern Pacific Coast, usually found at middle or lower elevations.

Description

• Medium-sized woodpecker.
• Red head and breast.
• White stripe running up side.

• Size: 20-22 cm (8-9 in)
• Wingspan: 37-40 cm (15-16 in)
• Weight: 39-68 g (1.38-2.4 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Sound

Call a harsh mewing "waah." Drumming a distinctive slow irregular tapping, easily imitated by tapping on a tree with a stick.

Conservation Status

Historically shot as an orchard pest; protected now. Populations appear stable, but forestry practices that remove snags may decrease its abundance in particular areas.

Other Names

Pic à poitrine rouge (French)
Chupasavia pechirroja (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Red-breasted Sapsucker has two subspecies. The northern form, resident from Alaska to Oregon, is redder on the head and has less white on the back. The southern form, found in California, often shows the black and white face striping of the other sapsucker species, but all the facial feathers are tipped in red.

• Hummingbirds of several species make use of sapsucker feeding holes and come to rely on them. The Rufous Hummingbird is closely associated with the Red-breasted Sapsucker. It nests near sap wells and may follow the woodpecker around during the day, feeding at the wells the sapsucker keeps flowing.

Sources used to construct this page:

Walters, E. L., E. H. Miller, and P. E. Lowther. 2002. Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) and Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis). In The Birds of North America, No. 662 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.