Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) is another of those unfortunately-named birds, since the yellow belly is really hard to see. The namers were looking at dead specimens. The sapsucking part is accurate, though; these birds will drill horizontal rows of holes in trees to bleed sap, which they will lap up along with the bugs attracted to the sticky nectar.Red on the throat tells us this is a male. Note how the tail is pressed down towards the trunk; woodpecker tail feathers are stiffer than most birds’, to help support the bird on its vertical forages.