Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
They’re back and one is making quite a racket. You’ve all seen rural mailboxes but have you ever heard one? I do about this time every year. These woodpeckers have learned that a steel mailbox is perfect for amplifying their territorial drumming.
| The white stripe on the side helps to identify this woodpecker as a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker. The chin and throat are red in males – white in females.
As the name implies sapsuckers feed on sap. They will drill small deep round holes and insert their bills looking for sap. Other times they may create larger shallower rectangular holes and lick the sap from them and also eat the trees cambium (growth/growing tissue). Bugs, especially those drawn to the sap round out their diet along with occasional berries and other fruit. These sapsuckers are a real north country woodpecker. Their range starts around central Pennsylvania and heads north extending westward once in Canada. This is the only completely migratory woodpecker in eastern North America. While some may winter over in the southern states most head to central America. They lay up to 6 white eggs which hatch in about two weeks. The young will leave the nest about 4 weeks later. |
Sphyrapicus varius
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While the Rapping Sapsucker is no surprise I did come home today and found one caused by another bird. A grouse broke a garage window. It was easy to tell who did it. It was sitting surrounded by the broken glass.
Ruffed Grouse – Bonasa umbellus
At first I thought it might have been hurt but it took off when I attempted to get a better photo.
I won’t go into grouse details except for one. They will shelter under the snow. If it then snows covering the ‘burrow’ you can be in for quite a surprise. I can tell you from experience that stepping on one is a great way to get your heart rate up. And a possible way to stop it too.
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April 14th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Great photos here! Yes indeed..it is gardening time. My camera died so once it is replaced I’ll begin my Spring posts.
April 15th, 2009 at 8:15 am
I love woodpeckers although I can see where mailbox drumming might get old pretty fast. I stepped on a mouse once but it also seemed OK, though my heart was racing (not because I’m afraid of mice but because it’s a weird sensation stepping on something living!).
April 15th, 2009 at 9:15 am
And I thought a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker was just a name for someone you didn’t like. I will use it more sparingly now:D
Heather
April 16th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Holy smokes! The Yellow-bellies pretty much stick to the trees here. I wonder if that’s a regional thing. The little Hairies hammer on our house. I hate to chase them off, but if I don’t the bees come and make nests in the holes.
April 17th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Very cool! The Yellow Bellies around here don’t seem to drum like that, but I’ve seen Flickers do it on my mom’s pole barn. Just last year I discovered that sapsuckers like the grape jelly I put out for Orioles, so now I leave that feeder out all summer.
May 27th, 2009 at 2:28 am
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