Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

(Sphyrapicus varius)

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

SNRB - Unranked Breeding

Minnesota

not listed

 
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Photo by Bill Reynolds
 
Description

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker medium-sized woodpecker has a name likely to elicit a smile or a raised eyebrow. It is 7 to 9 long, weighs 1½ oz. to 2 oz., and has a 13 to 16 wingspan.

The back is black with extensive narrow white barring. The belly is yellowish. The flanks are yellowish to white with narrow faded barring. The breast is black. The rump is white. The wings are black with narrow white bars and a large white patch that is conspicuous during flight. The tail is mostly black.

The head is mostly black and white and boldly striped. The crown is bright red. On the male the chin is bright red. On the female it is white.

 

Size

7 to 9 in length

16 wingspan

 

Voice

A repeated, scratchy, nasal, cat-like me-ew.

The drumming is a loud roll quickly slowing to rapid but clearly separated taps and finished by 3 or 4 well-spaced taps at the end.

 

Sign

Long, horizontal, more or less straight lines of small, closely-spaced holes in the trunk of a tree are a sure sign of this bird.

 

Similar Species

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), the only other woodpecker in Minnesota with a red crown, is a much larger, much blacker bird.

Habitat

Young, deciduous and mixed forests, especially dry, second-growth woodlands

Ecology

Migration

Late March to late October

 

Nesting

In late April and May the male and female excavate a nest hole in a live poplar or birch tree 6½ to 65 above the ground. They will often choose a dead limb or a trunk with decayed heartwood. Excavation takes from 2 to 3 weeks. The finished nest will be up to 10 deep with an entrance hole only 1½ in diameter. The nest is not lined.

The female lays 4 to 7 eggs on wood chips left over from the excavation. Both adults share incubation duties. The eggs hatch in 12 to 13 days. The young leave the nest 25 to 29 days after hatching.

There is only one brood per year. Nests are often reused year after year.

 

Food

Tree sap and small insects attracted to the sap filling the holes made by the bird. Also hammers for insects and catches insects on the wing.

Distribution

Occurrence

Common migrant and breeder

 

Maps

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

Taxonomy

Class

Aves (birds)

Order

Piciformes (woodpeckers, barbets, and allies)

Family

Picidae (woodpeckers)

Subfamily

Picinae

Genus

Sphyrapicus (sapsuckers)

   

Subordinate Taxa

Four subspecies have been described. Two have been raised to full species status; one is now a considered a synonym, and one is no longer considered valid. No subspecies are currently recognized.

   

Synonyms

Picus varius

Sphyrapicus varius appalachiensis

Sphyrapicus varius varius

 

 

 

 

 

Visitor Photos
 

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Lynn Rubey

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

A male Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, the only Minnesota woodpecker with a red chin patch.

Bill Reynolds

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker sign   Yellow-bellied Sapsucker sign
Sign  

Sign

     
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker sign    
Sign  

 

 

Camera

Slideshows

Yellow-bellied sapsucker
Andree Reno Sanborn

Yellow-bellied sapsucker
About

Sphyrapicus varius

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
JMC Nature Photos

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

 

slideshow

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Other Videos

Yellow bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius drilling holes.
Rob Curtis

About

Published on Jun 26, 2014

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,Sphyrapicus varius, feeding

Yellow-bellied sapsucker female. South Padre Island
tavovalero

About

Published on Apr 4, 2015

Recorded at Valley land fund lots South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center on 2015-03-28

Sphyrapicus varius

Chupasavia Maculado, chupasavia norteño (Spanish)

If you want to watch similar bird and other wildlife videos go to my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/tavovalero/videos

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Picidae: Sphyrapicus varius) Male
Carl Barrentine

About

Uploaded on Jun 26, 2010

Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (25 June 2010).

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
johnfredeen

About

Published on Sep 27, 2012

Filmed in an aspen forest in central Alberta.

Sphyrapicus varius Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at wells
Meena Haribal

About

Uploaded on Jul 18, 2011

No description available.

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.

Ellen Hawkins
12/10/2024

Location: Grand Marais, Cook County

A young one has been coming to our shelled peanuts for about 2 weeks

Lynn Rubey
6/11/2019

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

A male Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, the only Minnesota woodpecker with a red chin patch.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Susan Torkelson
5/24/2018

Location: Adams health Care Center

 
Debbie lamp
here

4/22/2017

Location: 5 miles south of hibbing on bunker road

feeding on suet in yard have also been seeing a red bellied woodpecker yesterday feeding on suet.  The downy and hairy woodpeckers commonly feed here

Bill Reynolds
6/6/2015

Location: Pennington Co MN

Here is a closer look at the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.   Such a good looking fellow.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Bill Reynolds
4/30/2011

Location: Pennington Co.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

 

 

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