Yellow- Bellied Sapsiicker iSq 



with oulspii'ail \vin;^s. Tlu' siciu' was so inU'irsI iiii^ I ha I I look a si'al on a, 

 lU'arhy roik inli'iidini^' lo sih' wliat iHi;^lil (Icxclop I in I her. Soon another 

 luillerlly llnlU'ird lo tlu' ^ronnd, and lluii I distoxcicd llial olluTS— in fad 

 nine in all had alrcad\ i'l'asU'd S(» cxUaisiN cly llial llii\ had son^hl icsl on 

 Mother I'^arth. Six still held lluir places li\ ihc liiili sitrin^s of sap. Wonid 

 tjiey also l)e ox'ereome? Alsd whal had pinn Inu'd ihc lice lo lei (inl I he sap? 

 Sui'eK hnl lerllii's e<uild no! |>eili)ini sm h a teal I 



A I I his mo men I sonu'l hin;^ dropped trom amnnji, I he limits al)o\ c and si i mk 

 lii;hll\ on a nearl))' I I'ee neai' ils hase. Il was a liidwn ('reepiT, am! m\ e\es 

 followed il as it worked ils way iipwaid lor perhaps Iwenly feel. Snddi'nl\' a. 

 Iiird Ihal ! had nol hefore seen seemed lo t'lner^i' from Ihe hark jnst above 

 and I he C'ri'epei" was diixen awaw Phere, on I he I ree where il had ])een all 

 alon^\ was a \'ellowd)ellii'd Sapsmker. KnI for ihe (Vecpei- I should pruhahlv 

 nol have seen it. ihe Sapsneker's colors hientled so perfec ll\ wilh Ihe hark 

 of ihe tree that I tionhl ifa I lawk eonid has i' discovered il as loni-; as il remained 

 molionless. A lillle laU-r the Sapsnekcr H'Avc Iwo ralher sharp Iml pLunlive 

 calls, hut ils cry was nol answi'ri'<|. The hird }.;lass in m\ hand reNcaied I he 

 fact that numerous lillle hok's wen' yieldinj.;; llu'ir sap np I here where Ihe 

 Sapsucker cluuji;. Within a mimile I disK)\i're(| ihc Uird drnii ni;_', lr<im ihc 

 fonnlains he had opened. 



The mystery of llie holes 1 rom whic h I Ik' hnl li i llies were feedin;^' was solved. 

 Looking about I found llial Iwo oilier nearby trees also had lillii' openings 

 picked through the bark from which the sap was llowing. Il seemecj ihal Ihe 

 Sa|)sucker had eslablished a regular cafeteria for himself; evidenlly lu' inlended 

 to have ])lenty of h)od while he slayeil wilh us. 



The summer home of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker e.\l ends over Ihe wooded 

 regions of the southern half of Canada, New l^ngland, and Ihe iiorlJuiii lier 

 of states. In ihe monnlains ifranges to North Caidlina. The Red iiapt'd 

 Sapsucker is the western varii'ty of this bird, and its habits in general are the 

 same. In summer Sapsuckers ari' said to be very noisy and call ami sc ream 

 and chase each other about in a very boisterous Jiianner. Like other Wood- 

 peckers they drum at times on dead limbs. 



For a nest the birds dig often in a, living Iree from twenty to llfly fei'l from 

 the ground. From live to seven white eggs are lai<l in May or early June. 

 These rest on a layer of fine chi|)s ])icked from the sides or bottom of the 

 cavity for the purpose. In the neighJ)orhood of the nest there may be found, 

 if one will only search long enough, what is called a 'Sapsucker's orchard.' 

 This is a small group of trees from which the birds get their living. Hundreds 

 of holes, usually squarish or elongated in shape, are dug ihrougli the bark unlil 

 the wood is reached. The soft inner bark or 'canrbium' is ealen at once and 

 the holes soon fill with sap. Here the l)irds come many times every day to 

 feed. New holes are added at intervals until the trees become thickly 

 pitted with them. 



