THE YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 



Woodpecker Family — Picidos 



Length: About 8^/2 inches, larger than the Downy, and smaller 

 than the Red-headed woodpecker. 



General Appearance: A medium-sized bird, with bars, stripes, 

 and patches of black and white. The scarlet crown, 

 the black band across the breast, and the scarlet 

 throat of the males are distinguishing marks. 



Male: Crown and throat bright red; bill long; head with 

 broad black and white stripes, extending to neck. 

 The black stripe beginning at bill unites with a 

 black crescent that encloses red throat. Breast and 

 belly light yellow; sides gray, streaked with black; 

 back black, barred with white; wings black, with 

 large white patches, white bars, and spots; middle 

 tail-feathers, white and black; outer tail-feathers 

 mostly black. 



Female: Resembles male, but throat is usually white instead 

 of scarlet. 



Young: Similar to parents, but with dull blackish crowns, 

 whitish throats, and brownish-gray breasts. 



Notes: A faint call-note; a ringing call, consisting of several 

 similar notes. 



Habitat: Tree-trunks, into which these birds drill holes and 

 thus kill the trees. 



Range: Eastern North America. Breeds from the tree-belt of 

 Canada to northern Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, moun- 

 tains of Massachusetts and North Carolina; winters 

 from Pennsylvania and Ohio Valley to the Gulf 

 Coast, Bahamas, Cuba, and Costa Rica. 



T 



HE Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is the renegade of 

 the woodpecker family — the transgressor that has 



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