Red-breasted Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus ruber
The Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) is a common woodpecker found in 3 countries, weighing about 55 g. The red-breasted sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker of the forests of the west coast of North America.
About the Red-breasted Sapsucker
The red-breasted sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker of the forests of the west coast of North America.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Adults have a red head and upper chest, with a white lower belly and rump. They are black on the back and wings with bars and have a large white wing patch. The northern birds, subspecies S. r. ruber, have yellow bars on the back and yellow upper belly. The southern birds, subspecies S. r. daggetti, have white bars on the back and a pale belly. The wing barring is white in both variants. These birds make various noises; their vocalizations include a variety of chatter, squeals, and scream-like calls, and they also drum with their bills on various surfaces.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in June. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Red-breasted Sapsucker?
- Adults have a red head and upper chest, with a white lower belly and rump. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Red-breasted Sapsucker?
- The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a small sized bird weighing about 55 g.
- Where can you see a Red-breasted Sapsucker?
- The Red-breasted Sapsucker occurs in 3 countries, including the United States, Canada and Mexico.
- What birds look similar to a Red-breasted Sapsucker?
- The Red-breasted Sapsucker is most easily confused with the Red-naped Sapsucker, the Williamson's Sapsucker and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
- Is the Red-breasted Sapsucker endangered?
- The Red-breasted Sapsucker is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Red-breasted Sapsucker for real
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