Photo: Kevin Cole from Pacific Coast, USA (en:User:Kevinlcole) / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus ruber
Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) is a member of the Picidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 54.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Sphyrapicus
- Species ruber
Quick facts
- Weight
- 54.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Red-breasted Sapsucker is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across North America. Its distribution covers NA w.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 54.8 g, with a wing length of about 12.7 cm and a tail of around 8.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-breasted Sapsucker?
The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 54.8 g.
Where does the Red-breasted Sapsucker live?
The Red-breasted Sapsucker is found across North America with a range covering NA w, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Red-breasted Sapsucker belong to?
The Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Red-breasted Sapsucker eat?
The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Red-breasted Sapsucker migrate?
The Red-breasted Sapsucker is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Red-breasted Sapsucker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Red-breasted Sapsucker make?
1 real field recording of the Red-breasted Sapsucker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-breasted Sapsucker's range?
The Red-breasted Sapsucker has a mapped global range of about 1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Picidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.