Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

 

Killbear Provincial Park has an abundance of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, in fact I would say it is the most common woodpecker found in that area, along with Pileated, Downy, Hairy, Red-headed, and Northern Flickers. There are eBird reports of Red-bellied, however in all my years at Killbear I have never observed or heard one.

Yellow-belled Sapsuckers perch upright on trees, leaning on their tails like other woodpeckers. They feed at sapwells—neat rows of shallow holes they drill in tree bark. They lap up the sugary sap along with any insects that may get caught there. Sapsuckers drum on trees and metal objects in a distinctive stuttering pattern.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are mostly black and white with boldly patterned faces. Both sexes have red foreheads, and males also have red throats. Look for a long white stripe along the folded wing. Bold black-and-white stripes curve from the face toward a black chest shield and white or yellowish underparts. Cornell All About Birds