Red-breasted Sapsucker - a detailed portrait.

December 4, 2006 on 6:01 pm | In Daily Local Birder |

My view from my home office is of an old Gravenstein apple tree. My window has become a sort of screen where a documentary on the fascinating lives of wild Sonoma County birds is always playing. Different species are the centers of attention during different seasons of the year, but it may be that winter is the most exciting time in this never-ending avian drama. The hanging feeder ensures that there are always a few perching birds at any given minute of the day, but this week is particularly special as my annual Red-breasted Sapsucker has returned to call. It may be that he is even fonder of the old apple tree than I am. The mottled bark bears testimony to his yearly visits, and as I type, he is knocking yet more holes in the bark, relieving the tree of insects, and gorging himself on the Gravenstein sap.

An intimate portrait of our local Sapsucker
Few photos or illustrations of the Red-breasted Sapsucker have ever really satisfied me. They tend to show a scruffy, somewhat ragged fowl. It may be that the subjects used are taxidermy specimens. Or, it may be that my visiting Sapsucker is an especially tidy and dapper fellow. Whatever the cause, I have yet to see an image that truly captures the handsomeness and hue of Sphyrapicus varius. His round, plush head reminds me of a velvet Christmas ball that hung on my childhood Christmas trees. The color is so richly red, and it extends to his breast. There is a faint white striping on my bird, going from the edge of his beak down the side of the throat, and photos indicate that this may be somewhat more pronounced on other birds. I have also observed a darkish spot behind the cheek. I have attempted to capture his lovely markings in my accompanying sketch.

His large, alert eye is ringed, and his beak is exceptionally big and strong. Because of his tree-clinging habit, one is likely to observe the back and sides of the bird, rather than his creamy belly. Two checkered stripes run the length of his back and there are further black-and-white checkerings on the wing feathers. My Sonoma County Sapsucker has an extremely prominent white stripe of feathers on his shoulder, and the sides of his belly feature a light grey chevron-like pattern. Of great interest is his tail, which he uses as a sort of third foot while clinging to the sides of a tree. The exterior feathers are black, with the central ones being black-and-white striped. Very striking.

He is 8″-9″ in size with a wingspan of up to 16″. Somehow, these figures always strike me as on the low side. My visitor seems larger than this, but it may simply be that his stunning colors make him appear larger.

Sapsucker Field Notes
Because the Sapsucker has been in the apple tree every day for about a week, we’ve gotten to observe some interesting things about his behavior. Firstly, he is quite tolerant of the presence of the perching birds who are busy with the feeder. Chestnut-backed chickadees, goldfinches, juncos and the like are quite welcome to share the tree with the Red-breasted Sapsucker, but there are 2 birds whom he chases away if they dare intrude.

Both the Ruby-crowned Kinglet and the Yellow-rumped Warbler have realized that they can find bugs in the holes the Sapsucker drills. But - they are only allowed to look when he isn’t there. Should they be so bold as to try to follow him in his circumnavigation of the tree trunk, he hops aggressively toward them, frightening them away. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is especially opportunistic, and I believe he has noted that the Sapsucker leaves around 4 o’clock in the afternoon. At this point in the day, the Warbler claims the tree until nightfall, eagerly investigating every hole the Sapsucker hollowed that day. There have also been several skirmishes between the Warbler and the Kinglet over who has first dibs when the red-headed lord of the tree is absent.

As I’ve mentioned, the Sapsucker tolerates non-competitors. What I want to relate now is that, like me, he is a bird watcher. I have observed him spending 5 minutes at a time, simply gazing at the perching birds, craning his head from side to side, blinking and musing over what he sees. Like an owl, he can turn his head nearly all the way to the back of his body, and his interest in his neighbors is very apparent. It may be, too, that he is listening to the tree’s innards. Can he hear grubs moving beneath the bark? I would love to be able to say so with certainty.

His excavations are neatly spaced, and about 1/8″ in diameter. Unlike many of his woodpecker relations, his drilling activity is rather quiet, and I cannot hear it from 15 feet away through my open window. I have also never heard him sing, but you can visit Cornell’s site to hear Red-breasted Sapsucker calls. It is peculiar, perhaps, that in a whole week of observation, I have yet to hear him utter a single sound.

Like many birds, the Sapsucker puffs out his feathers in order to permit grooming thoroughly with his powerful beak. While observing him cleaning himself, I was able to see his ivory rump patch which is normally not visible when he is feeding.

Further facts about the Red-Breasted Sapsucker
Male and females have the same general physical appearance. Sapsuckers nest in the cavities of dead trees and lay 4-7 white eggs.

Again, Sonoma County residents can consider themselves blessed to be living in the narrow western belt where this wild bird breeds and winters. Its entire range is from N. Canada, to Baja, Mexico. I have never encountered the Red-breasted Sapsucker in the forests it is reputed to prefer - nor have I seen him at any other time than in the winter here in Sonoma County.

He is closely related to both the Red-naped Sapsucker and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, which bear some resemblance to him, but as neither of these cousins live in Sonoma County, you need never be concerned about misidentifying the Red-breasted variety.

Woodpeckers which do live locally, and which also have red on their heads include the Pileated Woodpecker and Nutall’s Woodpecker. Nutall’s is a very little fellow, with only a red patch on the head, and the Pileated Woodpecker is our very largest local tree-clinging species. His pointed red crown immediately sets him apart from any other Sonoma County bird.

Sapsuckers do not cause serious damage to healthy trees, though uneducated orchard workers have historically shot them, thinking they would kill the fruit trees. A healthy tree will heal, and in fact, the Sapsucker is actually benefiting a tree when it relieves it of internal grubs and insects. As usual, nature has a way of making things work out well, without our interference.

On the whole, I would call the Red-breasted Sapsucker a bird of substance. His presence in the apple tree we both have come to count on seems to fill my bird garden with an air of majesty and strength. Something in me empathizes with his quiet, watchful ways, and I am so glad to see he has returned to brighten the grey days of another winter.

***A quick new note on the Sapsucker. Today, we observed him eating persimmons from a neighborhood tree. I have never found mention before of this bird eating fruit, but he was certainly enjoying himself!