Williamson's Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus thyroideusOrder: PICIFORMES Family: Woodpeckers (Picidae)

Codes: Common Name: WISA Scientific Name: SPHTHY ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178208

Head

Topo Map: Tree-clinging-like Head

Bill Shape: Dagger, All-purpose
Eye Color: Dark brown to red-brown.
Head Pattern: Eyeline, Plain, Striped, Special (unique patterns or features)
Crown Color: Black
Forehead Color: Black with thin white stripe at base of bill.
Nape Color: Black with thin white strip across back of neck.
Throat Color: Red
Cere color: No Data

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Body

Topo Map: Tree-clinging-like Body

Length Range: 23 cm (9 in)
Weight: 48 g (1.7 oz)
Size: Size 3. Medium (9 - 16 in)
Color: Red, White, Black, Yellow
Underparts: Black breast and yellow belly.
Upperparts: Black
Back Pattern: Solid
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Solid

Flight

Topo Map: Tree-clinging-like Flight

Flight Pattern: Alternates several rapid shallow wing beats with short glides.
Wingspan Range: 43 cm (17 in)
Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
Tail Shape: Pointed Tail
Tail Pattern: Solid
Upper Tail: Black
Under Tail: Black
Leg Color: Gray

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Williamson's Sapsucker

Williamson's Sapsucker: Medium-sized woodpecker with black back and white rump. Bright red throat, breast is black, belly is yellow, and flanks are barred black-and-white. Black head has two white facial stripes. Black wings have large white shoulder patches. Tail is black, legs and feet are gray.

● Song: "churrr"

● Foraging & Feeding: Williamson's Sapsucker: Feeds on sap, bark cambium, ants, wood-boring larvae, and moths of spruce budworms; drills holes in trees, returning to feed on seeping sap.

● Breeding & nesting: Williamson's Sapsucker: Three to seven white eggs are laid in a cavity in a pine or fir tree; although nesting trees are reused, a new hole is chiseled each time. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Williamson's Sapsucker: Three-toed, Hairy and Downy woodpeckers lack bold, white wing patch, red chin, and yellow wash on belly.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid shallow wing beats with short glides.

● Range & Habitat: Williamson's Sapsucker: Breeds from southern British Columbia south to southern California, central Arizona, and central New Mexico. Spends winters in the southern part of breeding range and in the southwest. Ponderosa pine forests, open coniferous forests, and subalpine forests in the southwest are preferred habitats.

^BreedingMonogamous, Loose colonies

^PopulationFairly common to uncommon

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight1.7 Ounces

Tree-clinging-like Head

Tree-clinging-like Body

Tree-clinging-like Flight

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America