Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

1/250s at f8.0 ISO:160, Canon Mark III 1Ds w/400mm, 2.x converter


The breeding habitat of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is forested areas across Canada, eastern Alaska and the northeastern United States. They prefer young, mainly deciduous forests. There is also a disjunct population found in high elevations of the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Like other sapsuckers, these birds drill holes in trees and eat the sap and insects drawn to it. They may also pick insects from tree trunks or catch them in flight. They also eat fruit and berries. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers nest in a large cavity excavated in a deciduous tree, often choosing one weakened by disease; the same site may be used for several years. They will mate with the same partner from year to year, as long as both birds survive. Clutch size is 3 to 7, length of incubation is 12 to 13 days and days to fledge 25 to 29. These birds migrate to the southeastern United States, West Indies and Central America.
Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, FL
 
02/01/2009