Class Aves
Order Woodpeckers
Family Woodpeckers
Genus Sphyrapicus

Credit: Jacqui

North American field guide

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus varius

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

22 cm (8") Woods, orchards.

Red forehead but no red on nape unlike similar Red-naped Woodpecker (ranges overlap in southern Alberta and British Columbia). Male has red throat; female has a white throat. Long white wing patch runs down wing.

Drills holes in trees to feed on sap.

Song: weak call.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

4 photos

Male - Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY; December 2005

Credit: Beth

Female - Yukon Territory, CA - July 2011

Credit: Keith Williams

Credit: M. Christian

Immature - Oakhurst, Oklahoma, US - March 9, 2010

Credit: Norm Townsend

Watch and learn

Videos

1 video

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

Credit: Wild Bird and Nature Videos by McElroy Productions

Where it lives

Distribution map

Source legend · original intervals

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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 8 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Female)

4 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 7

What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Checkered black and white · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white)
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:233-yellow-bellied-sapsucker:2:1 Source: 233 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, row 2

Rule 2 13 criteria confidence 7

What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Checkered black and white · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:233-yellow-bellied-sapsucker:3:1 Source: 233 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, row 3

Rule 3 13 criteria confidence 1

What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Checkered black and white · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white)
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:233-yellow-bellied-sapsucker:5:1 Source: 233 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, row 5

Rule 4 13 criteria confidence 1

What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Checkered black and white · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:233-yellow-bellied-sapsucker:6:1 Source: 233 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, row 6

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Male)

4 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 7

What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Checkered black and white · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Red, or pink
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:233-yellow-bellied-sapsucker:1:1 Source: 233 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, row 1

Rule 2 13 criteria confidence 7

What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Checkered black and white · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:233-yellow-bellied-sapsucker:3:2 Source: 233 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, row 3

Rule 3 13 criteria confidence 1

What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Checkered black and white · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Red, or pink
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:233-yellow-bellied-sapsucker:4:1 Source: 233 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, row 4

Rule 4 13 criteria confidence 1

What colour PATTERN if any was on the BACK ?: Streaked, mottled, spotted, or barred · Checkered black and white · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Yellow · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Red, or pink · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Woodpecker or Tree-clinging bird
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:233-yellow-bellied-sapsucker:6:2 Source: 233 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, row 6