Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-naped Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus nuchalis
Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) is a member of the Picidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 48.5 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 nuchalis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 48.5 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-naped Sapsucker is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Red-naped Sapsucker is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It is found across North America. Its distribution covers NA sw Canada to sw USA.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 48.5 g, with a wing length of about 12.3 cm and a tail of around 7.6 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 2.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-naped Sapsucker?
The Red-naped Sapsucker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 48.5 g.
Where does the Red-naped Sapsucker live?
The Red-naped Sapsucker is found across North America with a range covering NA sw Canada to sw USA, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Red-naped Sapsucker belong to?
The Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Red-naped Sapsucker eat?
The Red-naped Sapsucker is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Red-naped Sapsucker migrate?
The Red-naped Sapsucker is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Red-naped 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-naped Sapsucker make?
1 real field recording of the Red-naped Sapsucker — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-naped Sapsucker's range?
The Red-naped Sapsucker has a mapped global range of about 2.1 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.
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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.