Male
Description
Size: 8.5”
Plumage/Description: Male and female plumage similar. Striking facial pattern—red on the crown of the head, as well as on the nape and throat. Black stripe extends through the eye, outlined by a white stripe above and below. Breast is black, belly is yellow and flanks are gray with white markings. Back, wings and tail are black with an extensive amount of white spotting. Solid white patch on wings visible both in flight and at rest.
Habitat: Oak/Chaparral, Pinyon/Juniper, Ponderosa/Coniferous, Riparian/Deciduous, Residential
Time of year: Fall, winter
Relative Abundance: Common in appropriate season
Behavior: Sapsuckers have the unique behavior of creating ‘sap wells’ in the trunks of trees from which they harvest oozing sap.
Diet: Sap, insects, nuts, berries
Similar species: Other woodpecker species found in northern Arizona such as Hairy Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and Williamson’s Sapsucker.
Best Sites: Granite Basin, Thumb Butte, Lynx Lake, Goldwater Lake
