Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) is a member of the Picidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 50.3 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 varius
Where it lives
Eastern Alaska and northwestern Canada to southeastern Canada and northeastern USA
Quick facts
- Weight
- 50.3 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA e Alaska and nw Canada to se Canada and ne USA.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 50.3 g, with a wing length of about 12.5 cm and a tail of around 7.4 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 4.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker?
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 50.3 g.
Where does the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker live?
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is found across North America with a range covering NA e Alaska and nw Canada to se Canada and ne USA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker belong to?
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker eat?
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker migrate?
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Yellow-bellied 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 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-bellied 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 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker's range?
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has a mapped global range of about 4.5 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.