Red-breasted sapsucker

Adults have a red head and upper chest; they have a white lower belly and rump. They are black on the back and wings with bars; they have a large white wing patch. Red-Breasted Sapsuckers nest in tree cavities. Northern birds migrate to the southern parts of the range; birds on the coast are often permanent residents. Like other sapsuckers, these birds drill holes in trees and eat the sap as well as insects attracted to it. They sometimes catch insects in flight; they also eat seeds and berries. These birds interbreed with the Red-naped Sapsucker or Yellow-bellied Sapsucker where their ranges overlap.

Picture of the Red-breasted sapsucker has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.
Original source: Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)
Author: Kevin Cole from Pacific Coast, USA (en:User:Kevinlcole)

The Red-breasted sapsucker is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber), is a medium-sized woodpecker of the forests of the west coast of North America. Contents - * 1 Description * 2 Taxonomy and systematics * 2.1 Subspecies * 3 Distribution and habitat * 3. More

The main food of Red-breasted Sapsuckers is tree sap. They also eat some insects and fruit. They take more insects during the nesting season, and they feed insects to their young. back to top Nesting - Much is not well known about the nesting behaviors of Red-breasted Sapsuckers. They form monogamous pairs, and both members of the pair excavate the nest cavity. More

The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a denizen of the coniferous forests of the northern Pacific Coast, usually found at middle or lower elevations. More

* The Red-breasted Sapsucker has two subspecies. The northern form, resident from Alaska to Oregon, is redder on the head and has less white on the back. The southern form, found in California, often shows the black and white face striping of the other sapsucker species, but all the facial feathers are tipped in red. More

The Red-breasted Sapsucker has a large range, estimated globally at 1,000,000 square kilometers. Native to North America, this bird prefers boreal, temperate, subtropical, or tropical forest ecosystems. The global population of this bird is estimated at 2,500,000 individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the Red-breasted Sapsucker is Least Concern. More

* Red-breasted Sapsucker goes to work on one of our trees0:17 * Ajouter à la file d'attente Ajoutée à la file d'attente Red-breasted Sapsucker goes to work on one of o... More

the Red-breasted Sapsuckers in Washington and Oregon are year-round residents. Breeding habitat Deciduous woodlands and their edges, especially groves of aspen and alder; includes humid coastal lowlands. Also found in mixed evergreen and deciduous forests, primarily aspen-pine associations. Conservation status The Red-breasted Sapsucker is of moderate conservation importance, primarily because of its limited range, low overall density, and association with mature forests of the Pacific Coast. More

this red-breasted sapsucker has spotted the photographerMigratory status of the Red-breasted sapsucker The Red-breasted sapsucker moves south and down hill in winter in search of better food sources and warmer climates. How to attract the Red-breasted sapsucker to your garden The Red -breasted sap suckers prefers to drill sap wells in riparian species such as those in the willow and birch families. More

Red-breasted sapsucker wells on a tan oak tree. Photo by Kim A. Cabrera. March 2002. The photo above shows the most commonly found sign of this bird's presence - sapsucker "wells" on a tree. Natural History of Red-breasted Sapsuckers Being written... Check back later. red-breasted sapsucker Red-breasted sapsucker. Photo copyright Kim A. Cabrera 2008. Red-breasted sapsucker drumming on a post. Sapsucker wells on apple tree. More

Editor's Note: Because Red-naped and Red-breasted sapsuckers were long considered forms of a single species (along w/Yellow-bellied Sapsucker), and because work on these two western species has been limited until very recently, BNA initially combined treatment of the Red-breasted and Red-naped sapsuckers in a single account (seen here). Future revisions of this account will provide separate treatments for these two species. Red-breasted and Red-naped sapsuckers, together with the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), form a superspecies. More

Red-breasted Sapsucker on tree, Vancouver Lake, Washington. Image taken February 4, 2009. Canon Rebel XSi, 200mm. Image, 2009, Vancouver Lake, Washington, click to enlarge Click image to enlarge Red-breasted Sapsucker tree, Vancouver Lake, Washington. Image taken February 4, 2009. Canon Rebel XSi, 200mm. Mount Tabor, Oregon ... More

The Red-breasted Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus ruber, is a medium-sized woodpecker. Adults have a red head and upper chest; they have a white lower belly and rump. They are black on the back and wings with bars; they have a large white wing patch. Northern birds, S. r. ruber, have yellow bars on the back and yellow upper belly. Southern birds, S. r. daggetti, have white bars on the back and a pale belly. The wing barring is white in both variants. More

The Red-breasted Sapsucker is of moderate conservation importance, primarily because of its limited range, low overall density, and association with mature forests of the Pacific Coast. The population in California appears to be declining, whereas those further north appear to be stable or increasing. Being a primary cavity nester, this species provides nest-sites for many other forest species, and understanding its relationship with forest fragmentation and silvicultural practices will be important for maintaining future populations. More

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Few photos or illustrations of the Red-breasted Sapsucker have ever really satisfied me. They tend to show a scruffy, somewhat ragged fowl. It may be that the subjects used are taxidermy specimens. Or, it may be that my visiting Sapsucker is an especially tidy and dapper fellow. Whatever the cause, I have yet to see an image that truly captures the handsomeness and hue of Sphyrapicus varius. His round, plush head reminds me of a velvet Christmas ball that hung on my childhood Christmas trees. More

Red-breasted Sapsucker has an entirely red head, neck, and breast; less mottling and barring on back. Flight Pattern Alternates several rapid shallow wing beats with short glides. Red-naped Sapsucker Body Illustration● Range & Habitat: Red-naped Sapsucker: Breeds in the Rocky Mountains from British Columbia and Alberta south to east-central California, central Arizona, and southern New Mexico. Spends winters north to southern California, central Arizona, and central New Mexico. More

present account, the Sierra Red-breasted Sapsucker, is found in the main forest belt during the spring, summer, and fall, but regularly performs an altitudinal migration which carries it down into the tree growths of the western foothills and valleys for the winter months. Sapsuckers, of whatever species, seek mainly the juices and to a less extent the softer wood (bast and cambium) of the trees. More

Red-breasted Sapsuckers, but identification issues cloud our understanding of the distribution of hybrids vs. pure birds. More

Picture of Sphyrapicus ruber above has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution.
Original source: Kevin Cole from Pacific Coast, USA (User:Kevinlcole) external linkAuthor: Kevin Cole from Pacific Coast, USA (User:Kevinlcole) external linkPermission: Some rights reserved
Order : Piciformes
Family : Picidae
Genus : Sphyrapicus
Species : ruber
Authority : (Gmelin, 1788)