402. Sphyrapicus varius 

 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. 8 1-2 inches 



Male. Above black and yellowish ; crown red ; broad patch of 

 white on the wings. Below, throat red ; breast black ; belly yellow- 

 ish. Female. Similar, but throat white. 



Feeds on insects and sap of trees. Their tapping is slower and 

 more irregular than the other woodpeckers. The rows of holes 

 around old apple trees are made by these birds. Spring and 

 autumn migrant in Massachusetts in April and October. 



Note. Loud and squealing. 

 Nest. In a hole in a tree. 

 Breeds. In northern New England. 



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