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Tucson Audubon Society
Dastardly Duos
Red-Naped and Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers
by Larry Liese
Illustrations by George C. West
(Article first appeared in the February 2004 Vermilion Flycatcher
newsletter. To receive the newsletter in the mail, become a Friend
of Tucson Audubon.)
Now here’s a duo that has caused a lot of confusion over the years. Unique for this column, the problem is that the female of one species can look quite a lot like the male of the other! We’re talking about sapsuckers, in particular the Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis), and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius). Here in southeast Arizona, the Red-naped is fairly common in winter
months, while the Yellow-bellied occurs during the same period but in single digit numbers for the entire season. These two were long considered a single species along with the Red-breasted, then split in 1983. There are a number of zones of hybridization between these three, but systematic studies show sufficient distinctions to warrant treatment as separate species, and most birds seem to choose mates of their own kind. Part of the problem for us birders is that it takes a while for the field guides to catch up with these changes, and sometimes there is no view showing a critical distinguishing field mark. Another big problem is the amount of individual variation present. Take for example the oft-mentioned field mark of the red nape: Some Red-naped Sapsuckers have little or no red present, while it is not impossible for Yellow-bellieds to show some red here!
Let’s not worry too much here about oddball individuals (except maybe a politician I can think of), but concentrate on what typical birds of these two species look like. Areas to concentrate your attention on in telling these two species apart are the pattern of red, black and white in the throat area, the shape of the white markings on the back, and of course the red nape if present.
Pay attention here, ‘'cause this is the tricky part. Typical male Red-napeds show a discontinuous black border to the red throat and chin. Typical female Red-napeds show a continuous black border to a red throat, though will have a white chin that shows when the bird raises its bill. Both male and female Yellow-bellieds have a continuous black border to the throat, which is all-red on males and all-white on females. Thus we have the occurrence of a mostly red throat bordered with black on female Red-napeds and on male Yellow-bellieds! Hmmm. Luckily there is a backup plan. Take a view of the back (get it? Back-up?) and note how the white markings appear. On the Red-naped, they will appear strongly arranged in two vertical columns, one on either side of center. Yellow-bellieds have extensive white barring on their backs, but this does not have the same “two column” appearance. The red nape is somewhat diagnostic for Red-napeds, but don’t exclude them as a possibility if you don’t see it.
Want a little practice with this? Take a drive down to the Continental Maintenance Yard near Green Valley (ask at the Tucson Audubon Nature Shop if you need directions). There is once again a Yellow-bellied there, possibly the same individual that spent most of last winter there. Red-napeds are much easier to find; try nearby Madera Canyon for starters. Hopefully you can get a view of both and see these differences. Good luck!
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This page was updated on 02/21/06