Maine Birds — Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Today's photo is a yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), a medium-sized woodpecker found in Maine. These birds feed by drilling holes in the tree and drinking the sap. They can be found in Maine during the summer, but migrate south to the southern US, Mexico and Central America in the winter.

Yellow-bellied suckers sometimes visit suet feeders, but are most often seen in wooded areas. This male was seen on a chokecherry tree near my bird feeders.

According to All About Birds at Cornell Lab, the drilled holes made by the Yellow-bellied sapsucker are called sapwells. Sapwells also provide sap for the Ruby Throated Hummingbird. 

​If you see this bird in your backyard, or you observe rows of tiny holes in a tree, be on the lookout of hummingbirds who may stop for a sip of tasty sap.