Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
The yellow-bellied sapsucker is a small woodpecker that is native to the eastern half of North America. They breed in the northern United States and much of Canada. they spend the winter in the Gulf states, Mexico and Central America. Their main food source is tree sap, hence the name. They will drink sap from over 1000 species of trees and wooded plants but prefer sap with a high sugar content like those from birch and maple trees. In the spring they bore deep holes into the wood and stick their beaks inside to suck out sap. When the trees leaf out they bore a more shallow hole which they maintain over the summer licking the sap that flows from the hole. They will also eat insects the way that other woodpeckers do but they are just a supplement.

 Welcome to Tuesday Tweets! To join in the fun just post a photo of a bird and then link it by here by using the handy dandy link below. Then make sure you visit other sites to do a little bird watching.


16 comments:

??? said...

What a lovely bird. I've never seen a sapsucker in the wild so far, although I've kept a lookout for the telltale marks in the trees.

TexWisGirl said...

beautiful shot!

Kenneth Cole Schneider said...

Nice shot of the sapsucker and the interesting narrative. I have yet to capture one in adult plumage. All have been dull immature birds.

Anonymous said...

Nice photo, not a woodpecker we have seen.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful!! Happy New Year!

Black Jack's Carol said...

Wonderful shot of a fascinating bird. I do hope I see one in the wild some day. Happy New Year!

photowannabe said...

I didn't realize that the sapsucker and woodpecker were one in the same. Terrific shot.

Karen said...

Cool, always hear about them, have never seen one!

Roger Owen Green said...

The bird is the word!

Happy New Year!
ROG, ABC Wednesday team

mick said...

Great photo of a beautiful bird - and I like the patterns of the bark on the tree.

Andrea @ From The Sol said...

Beautiful bird and interesting information. I wouldn't have guessed that insects would be the supplement. I would love to have a sugar diet, but could never get away with it :) Looking forward to another year of your wonderful posts. Thanks for 2012 ... Happy New Year!

Andrea @ From The Sol

Stewart M said...

Great picture - are you in a hide to get level with the bird?

Cheers and thanks for linking to WBW.

Stewart M - Melbourne

Pat said...

Great capture!

Anonymous said...

Interesting! I saw one of these for the first time this year. Great goal for your blog.

Neil said...

Great photo.

Mary Howell Cromer said...

I absolutely adore Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers...their sweet mewing as they plot out their next holes to drill for the sweet sap of nourishment they take in. This is a brilliant image...lovely. Happy new Year~