Anyone ever seen one of these before?

[johnjrval424]

I snapped this woodpecker on my bird feeder this afternoon. I've never seen one with both a red head and a red throat?

 

[BS Gal]

I snapped this woodpecker on my bird feeder this afternoon. I've never seen one with both a red head and a red throat?

I believe it is a yellow-bellied sapsucker. Seriously. I looked it up in the bird book. I didn't think they frequented feeders though. We had one eating off the ground here last week.

 

[johnjrval424]

I believe it is a yellow-bellied sapsucker. Seriously. I looked it up in the bird book. I didn't think they frequented feeders though. We had one eating off the ground here last week.

Oh my gosh, I think you are right!

Similar species:
White patch on wing coverts sets sapsuckers apart from all other woodpeckers. Male Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are distinguished from male Red-naped only by the red nape spot and incomplete frame to red throat of Red-naped Sapsucker. Females are somewhat easier to distinguish, as they differ in these characters, as well as having quite different throat patterns (white in Yellow-bellied, red and white in Red-naped). It is worth noting that any sapsucker in juvenal plumage after late fall must be a Yellow-bellied. Beware of rare hybrid Yellow-bellied x Red-naped Sapsuckers, and the occasional Yellow-bellied Sapsucker which may show a red nape spot.

Here's a photo I found:

 

[Sharon]

I snapped this woodpecker on my bird feeder this afternoon. I've never seen one with both a red head and a red throat?

That's the male. I've seen them at my suet feeder. When I run out of suet all the woodpeckers have eaten from the sunflower seed feeders. They are too big to get inside the wire surrounding the tubes but they stick their heads through.

 

[BS Gal]

Oh my gosh, I think you are right!



Here's a photo I found:

Don't sound so amazed. I'm always right. Ask Desertrat.

 

[johnjrval424]

I plead the fifth...

Anyway, just in case you want to "brush up" on your already vast knowledge, here is a link with quite a bit of information on this breed:

Smithsonian Article

 

[BS Gal]

I plead the fifth...

Anyway, just in case you want to "brush up" on your already vast knowledge, here is a link with quite a bit of information on this breed:

Smithsonian Article

Thanks! I don't really have vast knowledge. I just have a good bird book. I'm constantly looking stuff up in it when I spot a bird I can't identify.

Now, who knows how to make the black-capped chicadees stop building a nest in our bluebird house?

 

[river rat]

Now, who knows how to make the black-capped chicadees stop building a nest in our bluebird house?

You asked that question before, didn't you? Wish I good help.
Hey! Call PMSBS Gal, she will flog 'em good