BIRD OF THE MONTH

March: Red-breasted Sapsucker

by Janine Schutt

Photograph of Red-breasted Sapsucker by Janine Schutt

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Among the five resident woodpeckers of Kitsap County, the Red-breasted Sapsucker tends to be the least observed. Sapsuckers don’t normally visit suet feeders like other woodpeckers, so the best way to locate one is to listen for the continuous soft tapping as it drills rows of small holes on a tree trunk. Here are some fascinating facts about the Red-breasted Sapsucker:

Easily identifiable by its prominent red head and breast.
A mostly year-round resident of the West Coast from southern Alaska to southern California. High elevation breeders migrate short distances to lower elevations in winter.
The only one of the three species of Washington sapsuckers that is non-migratory.
Fairly common in western Washington, but rare in eastern Washington where its cousins the Red-naped and Williamson’s Sapsuckers are migratory breeders.
Preferred habitat is mature mixed forests, from sea level to 8,700 feet.
Feeds by drilling neat rows of holes in tree trunks. After a few days, the sapsucker will return to feast on the sap and insects that collect in the holes.
Hummingbirds follow them around to feed from the sugary sap wells. Rufous Hummingbirds aggressively defend fresh sapwells against intruders but will leave the sapsucker alone to do its work.
Squirrels, porcupines, and bats may also lick the sweet treat.
Has a shorter tongue than other woodpeckers. Tongue has a brushy tip for licking sap.
Also feeds by “flycatching,” or sallying into the air to catch flying insects.
Unlike other woodpeckers who feed on dead trees, sapsuckers feed on live trees.
Although it is rare, sapsuckers may kill a tree if too many holes are drilled into it.
Attracts a mate and establishes its territory by drumming on metal signs, gutters, and downspouts, which reverberate across a considerable distance, often to the dismay of non-birders.
A new nest cavity is excavated each year. Pairs raise one brood of 4-7 eggs.
Sometimes hybridizes with its close cousin, the Red-naped Sapsucker.

Photo by Janine Schutt

Bird of the Month

BIRD OF THE MONTH

March: Red-breasted Sapsucker

by Janine Schutt

Photograph of Red-breasted Sapsucker by Janine Schutt

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Easily identifiable by its prominent red head and breast.

A mostly year-round resident of the West Coast from southern Alaska to southern California. High elevation breeders migrate short distances to lower elevations in winter.

The only one of the three species of Washington sapsuckers that is non-migratory.

Fairly common in western Washington, but rare in eastern Washington where its cousins the Red-naped and Williamson’s Sapsuckers are migratory breeders.

Preferred habitat is mature mixed forests, from sea level to 8,700 feet.

Feeds by drilling neat rows of holes in tree trunks. After a few days, the sapsucker will return to feast on the sap and insects that collect in the holes.

Hummingbirds follow them around to feed from the sugary sap wells. Rufous Hummingbirds aggressively defend fresh sapwells against intruders but will leave the sapsucker alone to do its work.

Squirrels, porcupines, and bats may also lick the sweet treat.

Has a shorter tongue than other woodpeckers. Tongue has a brushy tip for licking sap.

Also feeds by “flycatching,” or sallying into the air to catch flying insects.

Unlike other woodpeckers who feed on dead trees, sapsuckers feed on live trees.

Although it is rare, sapsuckers may kill a tree if too many holes are drilled into it.

Attracts a mate and establishes its territory by drumming on metal signs, gutters, and downspouts, which reverberate across a considerable distance, often to the dismay of non-birders.

A new nest cavity is excavated each year. Pairs raise one brood of 4-7 eggs.

Sometimes hybridizes with its close cousin, the Red-naped Sapsucker.