USA, Maryland, January, similar to downy/hairy woodpecker but entire top of head red (1 Viewer)

[Charlie Yardbird]

We get hairy & downy woodpeckers at the suet. This guy is girdling my holly tree. It is two stories high & maybe 30" away from a second story window. At the height of the window he is making rounded rectangles 2cm x 2-4cm, not very deep, all around, for a vertical span of say 8" - its a thin smooth bark.

He does not have the white stripe down the spine like a hairy/downy. And he does not have red on the nape of the neck, but over the whole top of the head. His belly is mottled, grey with white (vs hairy/downy white, with some spots on the flanks). His back/wings are mottled black/grey/white but fuzzy; not distinctly spotted like the hairy/downy black & white.

I can't find it in my Audubon Field Guide. Wrong season for a yellow bellied sapsucker, and he does not look like that photo, no red on the front of the neck. But its been weird this year, have not gotten the flocks of several dozen, have not used much seed or suet.

 

[foresttwitcher]

The behaviour sounds like a Sapsucker and the female Yellow-bellied does not have a red throat like the male, just on the crown.

 

[Ruff-Leg]

Can you locate a picture of a Red-breasted Sapsucker? It would obviously be quite rare!

 

[qwerty5]

Due to the mild winter, here in Ohio we have lots of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers still around. I'd be fairly confident that's what you saw. Here is a female:

 

[rkj]

The behavior you describe sure sounds like a sapsucker. The plumage you describe does sound like a Red-breasted Sapsucker. The furthest-east ebird record for that species, however, is western-most Iowa. If you have not seen the bird actually making the holes, the other possibility might be some other species visiting sapsucker workings, which a number of species will do. It would be great if you can get a photo.

 

[Ruff-Leg]

Can you locate a picture of a Red-breasted Sapsucker? It would obviously be quite rare!

My Red breasted suggestion was from a rushed reading of your description. I was heading out birding. 😉 Sounds more like a Yellow-bellied.

 

[Charlie Yardbird]

It must be a yellow-bellied sapsucker female. I have NEVER seen one before, and am surprised to see it in the winter. The other day we got the super cold weather and 3" of snow and I have not seen her. If the sap freezes up, what else can she eat? Have not seen her at the birdfeeder or peanut suet or on the ground (cracked corn).

I was pondering making up some hummingbird sugar water but stuck on how to present it; some sort of cup attached to the tree... How many tablespoons of liquid do they eat in a day, at 20-30 deg F and 10-20 at night?

Finally getting the large flocks we usually see, its been a desolate fall & winter. Last summer we had oodles of fledglings, expected lots of them to stick around (Cardinals, Titmice, Hairy/Downy Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, even a young Red Bellied Woodpecker). We have a single Rufous Sided Towhee. Used to have several in the mixed flock every year but not for the last couple of winters. Have a Carolina Wren or two.

 

[qwerty5]

It must be a yellow-bellied sapsucker female. I have NEVER seen one before, and am surprised to see it in the winter. The other day we got the super cold weather and 3" of snow and I have not seen her. If the sap freezes up, what else can she eat? Have not seen her at the birdfeeder or peanut suet or on the ground (cracked corn).

I was pondering making up some hummingbird sugar water but stuck on how to present it; some sort of cup attached to the tree... How many tablespoons of liquid do they eat in a day, at 20-30 deg F and 10-20 at night?

Finally getting the large flocks we usually see, its been a desolate fall & winter. Last summer we had oodles of fledglings, expected lots of them to stick around (Cardinals, Titmice, Hairy/Downy Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, even a young Red Bellied Woodpecker). We have a single Rufous Sided Towhee. Used to have several in the mixed flock every year but not for the last couple of winters. Have a Carolina Wren or two.

It may have migrated further south because of the cold weather. If you haven't seen it at any feeders it's most likely gone somewhere else.

Sapsuckers also eat insects like other woodpeckers. At any rate I doubt putting sugar water out would be successful. It probably wouldn't recognize it as a food source.

 

[Charlie Yardbird]

It may have migrated further south because of the cold weather. If you haven't seen it at any feeders it's most likely gone somewhere else.

Sapsuckers also eat insects like other woodpeckers. At any rate I doubt putting sugar water out would be successful. It probably wouldn't recognize it as a food source.

But this below freezing weather is all the way down the east coast. Not many insects this time of year. I saw predicted temps as low as in Fargo N.D. !!!

 

[Charlie Yardbird]

Warmed up to 60 F yesterday, 40 today. Did not see her.

 

[gsimonel]

I live in northern Virginia, and I have seen a lot of yellow-bellied sapsuckers around here this winter.

 

[MiddleRiver]

This is for 2024, so no shortage of YBSapsuckers in MD.

Have you looked at Red-headed Woodpecker? Less common but also not rare in MD.