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Red-breasted Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus ruberOrder: PICIFORMES Family: Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Codes: Common Name: RBSA Scientific Name: SPHRUB ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178212
Least Concern
 
Red-breasted Sapsucker
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Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
Attract Orioles with Fruit
Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
Charm and Attraction
Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

Overview

Red-breasted Sapsucker: Medium-sized woodpecker with black-and-white barred upperparts, pale yellow belly, and white rump. The head, nape, throat, and breast are bright red; moustache stripe is white. The wings are checkered black-and-white with large white patches. Black bill, gray legs and feet.

Range and Habitat

Red-breasted Sapsucker: Breeds from southeastern Alaska and British Columbia south to coastal California. Spends winters in most of its breeding range except interior British Columbia. Preferred habitats include woodlands, forest edges, and groves of aspen and alder.

Topo Map: Tree-clinging-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"whee-ur", "mew"

Interesting Facts

 The Red-breasted Sapsucker prefers to drill sap wells in riparian species such as those in the willow and birch families. They also like other deciduous trees like orchard crops.

 The Rufous Hummingbird is closely associated with this sapsucker. It nests near sap wells and may follow the woodpecker around during the day, feeding at the wells the sapsucker keeps flowing.

 These birds interbreed with the Red-naped Sapsucker or Yellow-bellied Sapsucker where their ranges overlap.

 A group of sapsuckers are collectively known as a "slurp" of sapsuckers.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

Splitbar
Range Map for Red-breasted Sapsucker

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Family Woodpecker (Picidae)_blue
Species Sphyrapicus ruber
Length8 - 9 Inches
Wingspan17 Inches

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Red-breasted Sapsucker: Medium-sized woodpecker with black-and-white barred upperparts, pale yellow belly, and white rump. The head, nape, throat, and breast are bright red; moustache stripe is white. The wings are checkered black-and-white with large white patches. Black bill, gray legs and feet.

● Song: "whee-ur", "mew"

● Foraging & Feeding: Red-breasted Sapsucker: Feeds on sap, bark cambium, insects, especially ants, and some fruits. Drills sap wells in a variety of tree species.

● Breeding & nesting: Red-breasted Sapsucker: Four to five white eggs are laid in a cavity drilled in a tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 13 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Red-breasted Sapsucker: Other woodpeckers in range lack large white patches on wings.

Flight Pattern

Alternates several rapid shallow wing beats with short glides.
Red-breasted Sapsucker Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Red-breasted Sapsucker: Breeds from southeastern Alaska and British Columbia south to coastal California. Spends winters in most of its breeding range except interior British Columbia. Preferred habitats include woodlands, forest edges, and groves of aspen and alder.
BreedingMonogamous, Loose colonies, Small colonies
Population
MigrationMigratory
Weight1.7 Ounces
Tree-clinging-like BodyX
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
NapeX
Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.
RumpX
The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.
RiparianX
Relating to or living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse (as a river) or sometimes of a lake or a tidewater. 
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

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.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX