The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a unique and interesting woodpecker that can be found in forests across North America. This medium-sized bird has several fascinating facts and behaviors that make it stand out among other birds.
The Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) is a woodpecker species found in coniferous forests across western and northern North America. They are a medium-sized bird at around 8.5 inches long with a wingspan of 14 inches and weigh 1.5-2.4 ounces. Their most recognizable feature is the red head and chest on the males. They get their name from their habit of drilling into trees to feed on the sap that flows out.
Sapsuckers play an important ecological role in the forest by drilling sap wells that provide food not just for themselves but for other species as well. The sap that flows from these wells attracts insects which the sapsuckers feed on. Other animals like hummingbirds, squirrels, and bats will come to feed on the sap as well. The holes they drill also make nesting sites for other bird species.
Here are some more interesting facts about these unique woodpeckers:
Fun Facts
- They have a unique tongue adapted for feeding on sap. The end of the tongue has tiny hair-like structures called lamellae that allow them to lap up sap.
- They drill orderly rows of small holes in tree bark to extract sap. A single sapsucker can drill up to 48,000 holes per breeding season.
- They communicate with drumming sounds by hammering their beak on trees. The drumming serves as territorial markers.
- Red-breasted sapsuckers migrate south for the winter and return to their summer breeding grounds in early spring.
- They nest in tree cavities and often reuse the same cavity year after year.
- Both male and female sapsuckers help incubate eggs and care for hatchlings.
- Sapsucker nestlings can consume up to 2,000 insects per day when being fed by their parents.
- Their tongues have tiny brush-like structures to help them slurp up sap.
- They are important to the ecosystem by providing food sources of sap and insects for other species.
- Sapsuckers are the only woodpecker species that feeds heavily on tree sap.
Appearance
Red-breasted Sapsuckers are a medium-sized woodpecker at around 21cm (8.5 inches) long with a wingspan of 36cm (14 inches) and weight of 42-55g (1.5-2.4 oz).
As their name indicates, adult males have a red head, chin, and breast. Their back and wings are mostly black with white stripes. Their belly is white with black spots. Females are similar but have a white chin and breast instead of red.
Both males and females have a white stripe that runs down their folded wing which is visible during flight. Their rump is white with black bars. They have a long black and white striped head. Their tail is black with white outer tail feathers.
Juveniles are duller in color than adults. Young males can be distinguished from females by their pinkish wash on the head, chin, and breast.
Distribution and Habitat
The Red-breasted Sapsucker is found across northern and western North America in boreal and mountain forests. Their breeding habitat stretches from Alaska across Canada to the Great Lakes region. They are found as far south as California and New Mexico in mountain ranges.
They inhabit coniferous forests dominated by species like pine, spruce, hemlock, Douglas fir, and larch. Mature forests with plenty of old trees are preferred as they provide more nest sites. They are often found in forests with birch or aspen as well.
During the winter they migrate south to the southern U.S, Mexico, and Central America. They mostly winter in oak woodlands as well as cypress and juniper forests.
Diet
The Red-breasted Sapsucker has a unique diet compared to other woodpeckers. Sap makes up over 50% of their diet. They supplement this with insects like ants, beetles, and larvae.
To obtain tree sap, the sapsuckers drill orderly rows of small holes into the bark of certain tree species. These sap wells can tap sources of nutrient-rich phloem sap and cambium tissue. In some cases, they may also feed on the underlying xylem sap.
Favored tree species include birch, hemlock, pine and spruce. The sapsuckers defend these sap trees as a food source and will continually maintain the holes to ensure sap flow. The sap oozes out and hardens around the holes, forming nodules that attract insects. The sapsucker then consumes both the sap and insects.
Sapsuckers will also snap up insects like ants and beetles from the trunks and branches of trees. They capture flying insects like moths, flies, airborne ants, and winged termites by sallying out from their perches.
Breeding and Nesting
Red-breasted Sapsuckers breed in the forests of northern North America between April and July. They usually form monogamous pairs for the breeding season.
Males arrive before females at the breeding grounds in early spring and establish a territory. They advertise their territory by drumming on tree limbs and trunks. Females arrive a week or two later.
Courtship displays include a sky dance where the male dives repeatedly with wings fluttering over the female. As part of mating, the male will feed sap to the female after drilling a sap well.
The nest cavity is usually excavated in a live tree within the male’s territory, often in aspen, birch or cottonwood. Both sexes help excavate the cavity around 10-30 ft above ground. The average clutch contains 4-5 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 10-13 days.
The hatchlings are altricial, meaning they are helpless and need to be fed by the parents. They fledge around 27-29 days after hatching. The male and female continue caring for the fledglings and feeding them for several weeks after leaving the nest.
Red-breasted sapsuckers are known to reuse nest cavities for multiple breeding seasons and may aggressively defend them from competitors. Some nest cavities have reportedly been used for over 35 years.
Migration
Red-breasted Sapsuckers are migratory and most populations undergo a relatively long migration between their breeding and wintering grounds. They generally migrate at night.
In the spring, they arrive on their breeding grounds in northern forests between mid-April and mid-May. This journey north can cover thousands of miles for some individuals. Banding records show the birds follow several main flyways north through the continent.
Their autumn migration to their wintering grounds begins in August or September. They take a more direct southerly route compared to the meandering course traveled in spring. They start arriving at wintering areas by October and November where they remain until the next spring migration.
Their winter range covers the southern U.S from California to the Carolinas. It extends south into Mexico and Central America. On wintering grounds they inhabit oak woodlands as well as pine and cypress forests.
Ecological Role
Sapsuckers play an important ecological role in the forest ecosystem. One key function is as a keystone species in that they facilitate and provide food sources for many other species.
The rows of sap wells they drill are used as a food source by dozens of other species including hummingbirds, squirrels, chipmunks, porcupines, butterflies, ants, bats, and bears. Studies have recorded up to 48 different species feeding at sapsucker sap wells.
The trees remain healthy despite the drilling and some studies indicate sap flow is increased which helps the growth rate of the trees. The sap wells also attract insects which the sapsuckers prey on, helping to control insect populations.
The cavities they excavate for nesting and roosting provide nesting sites for many other hole-nesting species including owls, ducks, sparrows, swallows, other woodpeckers, and mammals like squirrels and raccoons. About 150 different species are known to use old sapsucker cavities.
Another fascinating role is that they are considered a keystone methanol provider. Researchers have discovered that some evergreen trees receive up to 90% of their methanol from sapsuckers tapping into the sap. The trees use methanol as an antifreeze and in their metabolism.
Overall the sapsucker provides an important food subsidy and ecosystem service for the forest habitats where it occurs. It is truly a remarkable woodpecker.
Threats and Conservation
The Red-breasted Sapsucker has a wide range and large population size estimated at over 4 million birds. Their populations currently appear stable and they are evaluated as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN.
Habitat loss in their forested breeding grounds is the main long-term threat, especially from industrial forestry practices that remove old stands of trees. Climate change causing changes in distribution of tree species and drying conditions could also impact populations in the future.
Maintaining mature boreal forest habitats will be key for conservation of the species. More research is needed on the potential effects of forest harvesting practices and biomass energy. Programs to maintain cavity nesting sites and keystone ecological services of sapsuckers would also help assure healthy forest ecosystems.
Conclusion
In summary, the Red-breasted Sapsucker is a fascinating woodpecker species that plays a unique ecological role in the forests of North America. Their sap feeding behavior provides a crucial food and energy source for many other species. Maintaining natural mature forests across their range will be important for conserving sapsucker populations into the future.