- Sphyrapicus ruber
Identification
20-23 cm (Smaller than flickers)
Adult
- Bright red head, throat and breast
- Yellow belly
- Long white wing patch
- Barred back
Immature: upperparts are dusky brown with light spots, lighter underparts. Black and white checkered wings and tail.
Distribution
Breeds from southeastern Alaska and British Columbia south to coastal California. Winters in most of breeding range except interior British Columbia.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are accepted[1]:
- S. r. ruber:
- S. r. daggetti:
- South-western Oregon to Sierra Nevada of southern California and western Nevada
Habitat
Montane: old growth mixed pine and spruce trees, woodlands and their edges, groves of aspen and alder.
Behaviour
A shy woodpecker.
It has behaviour very similar to Red-naped and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
Breeding
The clutch consists of 4-6 white eggs. They are laid in a cavity which has been drilled into a tree.
It is known to hybridize with the Red-naped in California and British Columbia.
Diet
They drill holes in trees to access the sap. Working round the trunk forming horizontal rows of holes.
Vocalisation
Soft, slurred whee-ur or mew, similar to that of the Red-naped Sapsucker.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- BirdForum member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Red-breasted Sapsucker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-breasted_Sapsucker
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
