Red-breasted Sapsucker Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A medium-sized woodpecker with a long body, large, rounded head, and a chisel-like bill.

  Relative Size

  A medium-sized woodpecker. Larger than a Downy Woodpecker, smaller than a Northern Flicker.

  robin-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 7.9-8.7 in (20-22 cm)
    • Weight: 1.9-2.2 oz (53.1-63.5 g)
    • Wingspan: 14.6-16.0 in (37-40.6 cm)

  © Greg Gillson / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Both male and female Red-breasted Sapsuckers have a red head and breast with a white spot between the eye and the bill. The back is mottled black and white and the wings are black with a large vertical white patch. Underparts are mostly white, with dark streaks on the side and a yellowish wash on the belly.

• Behavior

  The Red-breasted Sapsucker clings to the side of tree trunks and forages for insects in crevices by tapping, probing, and prying at the bark. They drill rows of shallow holes in the bark from which they lick up the flowing sap.
• Habitat

  Red-breasted Sapsuckers breed in coniferous forests, often with some deciduous trees, as well as orchards and second-growth woodlands. In the winter, they move to wooded areas, including parks and suburbs, in coastal areas and at lower elevations.