Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Williamson’s Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus thyroideus
Williamson's Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) — 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 Williamson’s Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 47.6 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 thyroideus
Where it lives
Southern British Colombia through western, west-central USA to northern Baja California (Mexico)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 47.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Williamson’s Sapsucker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Williamson’s Sapsucker is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Williamson’s Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA s British Colombia through w, wc USA to n Baja California (Mexico).
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 47.6 g, with a wing length of about 13.6 cm and a tail of around 9 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 649,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Williamson’s Sapsucker?
The Williamson’s Sapsucker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 47.6 g.
Where does the Williamson’s Sapsucker live?
The Williamson’s Sapsucker is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA s British Colombia through w, wc USA to n Baja California (Mexico), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Williamson’s Sapsucker belong to?
The Williamson’s Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Williamson’s Sapsucker eat?
The Williamson’s Sapsucker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Williamson’s Sapsucker migrate?
The Williamson’s Sapsucker is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Williamson’s 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 Williamson’s Sapsucker make?
1 real field recording of the Williamson’s Sapsucker — including its drumming — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Williamson’s Sapsucker's range?
The Williamson’s Sapsucker has a mapped global range of about 649,000 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.