Red-breasted Sapsucker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus ruber
At a Glance
A very close relative of the Yellow-bellied and Red-naped sapsuckers, replacing them on the Pacific slope. It was considered to belong to the same species for some time, so differences in behavior have not been studied much until recently.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Picidae, Woodpeckers, Tree-clinging Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Forests and Woodlands, High Mountains
Region
Alaska and The North, California, Northwest, Southwest, Western Canada
Behavior
Flap/Glide, Undulating
Population
2.800.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Living in a relatively temperate climate, this is the least migratory of the sapsuckers. In Pacific Northwest, birds from interior may move to coast or southward; coastal birds may be permanent residents. Southern populations may move to lower elevations or short distance south in winter.
Description
8-9" (20-23 cm). Body and wings like other sapsuckers, but head and chest all red. Birds in northern part of range tend to be darker, with brighter yellow below; farther south, head is paler red with hint of white stripes. May interbreed with Yellow-bellied or Red-naped sapsuckers where their ranges meet.
Size
About the size of a Robin
Color
Black, Red, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Broad, Rounded
Tail Shape
Multi-pointed, Wedge-shaped
Songs and Calls
Soft, slurred whee-ur or mew, like call of Red-naped Sapsucker.
Call Pattern
Falling, Flat
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Drum, Rattle, Scream
Habitat
Coniferous forest, aspen groves; in winter, also other trees. During summer on the northwest coast, the Red-breasted Sapsucker is often in forest of hemlock or spruce. Farther south in the mountains it is found in pine forest, always with a mixture of deciduous trees such as aspen, alder, willow. In winter some move south or into lowlands, occurring in deciduous or coniferous trees.
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Red-breasted Sapsucker
Behavior
Eggs
5-6, sometimes 4-7. White. Incubation is by both sexes (with male incubating at night and part of day), 11-15 days. Both parents feed young, bringing them insects, sap, and fruit. Young leave nest 23-28 days after hatching. Parents teach young the sapsucking habit, feed them for about 10 days after they leave nest. 1 brood per year.
Feeding Behavior
Drills tiny holes in tree bark, usually in neatly spaced rows, and then returns to them periodically to feed on the sap that oozes out. Also eats bits of cambium and other tree tissues, as well as insects that are attracted to the sap. Besides drilling sap wells, also gleans insects from tree trunks in more typical woodpecker fashion, and sallies out to catch insects in the air. Berries and fruits are eaten at all seasons.
Diet
Includes insects, tree sap, fruit. Feeds on a wide variety of insects, including many ants (taken from tree trunks). Also regularly feeds on tree sap, and on berries and fruits.
Nesting
Courtship displays include pointing bill up and swaying from side to side. Nest: Nest site is usually in deciduous tree such as aspen, alder, cottonwood, or willow, but also in firs and other conifers. Nest cavity is often high, may be 50-60' or more above ground. Both sexes help excavate. Often uses same tree in subsequent years, but not same nest cavity.
Conservation
Conservation Status
Populations have probably declined somewhat, owing to cutting of forest in northwest, but the bird is still fairly numerous.
Climate Threats Facing the Red-breasted Sapsucker
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
