Red-breasted Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus ruber
Red-breasted Sapsuckers are striking medium-sized woodpeckers found in Oregon's coniferous and mixed forests, particularly favoring areas with deciduous trees like aspens, birches, and fruit trees, which they "sap" for their sweet sap. They are known for drilling neat rows of shallow holes (sap wells) in tree bark to access the sap, which they, along with insects attracted to the sap, then consume.
Distinguishing between male and female Red-breasted Sapsuckers is quite straightforward due to their distinct plumage differences.
General Appearance (Male and Female):
Size & Shape: Medium-sized woodpecker, with a relatively compact body, a fairly short, chisel-tipped bill, and stiff tail feathers that act as a prop when clinging to trees.
Head: Both sexes have a vibrant red head, face, and throat, which gives them their common name.
Back and Wings: Mostly black with noticeable white barring on the back and a prominent white stripe along the folded wing (visible in flight as a white wing patch).
Underparts: Whitish to yellowish on the belly, often with some dusky streaking on the flanks.
Sap Wells: You'll often find evidence of their feeding in the form of neat, horizontal rows of small, square or round holes drilled into tree bark.
Distinguishing Male and Female Red-breasted Sapsuckers in Oregon:
The key to telling males and females apart lies in the presence or absence of a white patch on the chin/malar (area below the eye to the base of the bill).
1. Chin/Malar Patch:
Male Red-breasted Sapsuckers: Have an all-red head and throat. The red extends continuously from the crown, across the face, and down the throat and chin, with no interruption of white.
Female Red-breasted Sapsuckers: Have a distinct white patch on their chin and upper throat, breaking up the red of the head. This white patch can vary in size but is almost always noticeable. Below this white patch, the lower throat is red, blending into the red of the face.
2. Size (Less Reliable for Field ID):
Females are generally very slightly larger than males, but this size difference is negligible and not a practical field mark for identification. The plumage difference is much more reliable.
Distinguishing between male and female Red-breasted Sapsuckers is quite straightforward due to their distinct plumage differences.
General Appearance (Male and Female):
Size & Shape: Medium-sized woodpecker, with a relatively compact body, a fairly short, chisel-tipped bill, and stiff tail feathers that act as a prop when clinging to trees.
Head: Both sexes have a vibrant red head, face, and throat, which gives them their common name.
Back and Wings: Mostly black with noticeable white barring on the back and a prominent white stripe along the folded wing (visible in flight as a white wing patch).
Underparts: Whitish to yellowish on the belly, often with some dusky streaking on the flanks.
Sap Wells: You'll often find evidence of their feeding in the form of neat, horizontal rows of small, square or round holes drilled into tree bark.
Distinguishing Male and Female Red-breasted Sapsuckers in Oregon:
The key to telling males and females apart lies in the presence or absence of a white patch on the chin/malar (area below the eye to the base of the bill).
1. Chin/Malar Patch:
Male Red-breasted Sapsuckers: Have an all-red head and throat. The red extends continuously from the crown, across the face, and down the throat and chin, with no interruption of white.
Female Red-breasted Sapsuckers: Have a distinct white patch on their chin and upper throat, breaking up the red of the head. This white patch can vary in size but is almost always noticeable. Below this white patch, the lower throat is red, blending into the red of the face.
2. Size (Less Reliable for Field ID):
Females are generally very slightly larger than males, but this size difference is negligible and not a practical field mark for identification. The plumage difference is much more reliable.