Birds of North America Home Page

Field Guide for all the Birds of North America


Sapsuckers

Pics

Picidae

Information, images and range maps on over 1,000 birds of North America, including sub-species, vagrants, introduced birds and possibilities

There are are four types of sapsuckers in North America. Sapsuckers belong to the woodpecker family. These birds feed on sap and insects by drilling rows of holes in the bark of trees and then returning to the tree and drinking the running sap and eating the insects that were attracted to the sap around the area of the holes.

sapsuckers

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker covers the largest region of North America from western Canada to Newfoundland, down into Mexico and east of the Rocky Mountains. The Red-naped Sapsucker and Williamson's Sapsucker can be found in the southern areas of western Canada and on through to Mexico. Lastly, the Red-breasted Sapsucker is located along the Pacific shores of North America.

All four species of sapsuckers prefer warmer weather and migrate in the colder seasons to warmer climates.

Click on the bird images or names listed to see pictures of the Sapsuckers seen in North America

References to Other Bird Sites:

Avibase - the world bird database This site provides the user with a complete list of bird species, broken down per country, or in the example of the US or Canada, per state and province. Here, bird species names are available in other languages, a great asset to be used as a translation of foreign bird names.

ABA - American Birding Association This site represents an organization that maintains official records of all birds species that have been proven to have been seen inside the perimeters of the North American Continent and the surrounding bodies of water. Regular revised versions are posted to keep the bird list current at all times. This is the list used by all serious birders over their lifetime. You may be aware of the movie called the "Big Year". It was with this list that all the competing birders used in an attempt to set a new record as to how many bird species that could be seen by an individual birder in one calendar year.

I hope you will take advantage of these suggested websites. I have used each of them, in one way or another, throughout the years in my quest to better identify and understand our fine feathered friends.


Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB