# Red-breasted Sapsucker (*Sphyrapicus ruber*) The Red-breasted Sapsucker is a colorful woodpecker with a bright red chest. It loves to drill holes in trees to drink the sweet sap and catch bugs. These birds are fun to watch as they hop around the trunks of trees! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Red-breasted Sapsucker](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Red-Breasted_Sapsucker.jpg&width=800) Photo: Linda Tanner, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red-Breasted_Sapsucker.jpg) ## Appearance The Red-breasted Sapsucker has a distinctive vibrant red head and breast, contrasting with a barred black-and-white back. It features a prominent white stripe on its folded wing and a pale yellowish belly, making it visually distinct from other sapsuckers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Piciformes - **Family:** Picidae - **Genus:** Sphyrapicus ## Interesting facts - Baby sapsuckers are fed a diet mostly of insects, not sap! - Other birds, like hummingbirds, also drink sap from their tree wells! - Their long tongue has a brush-like tip to slurp up tree sap quickly. - They drum on metal objects, like street signs, to find a mate! ## Special abilities - **Sap Well Engineer:** Red-breasted Sapsucker can drill neat rows of tiny holes in trees because this creates 'sap wells' for them to drink sweet sap. - **Insect Trap Setter:** Red-breasted Sapsucker has sap wells that help them catch insects, as bugs get stuck in the sugary liquid. - **Arboreal Anchor:** Red-breasted Sapsucker has stiff tail feathers that help them brace against tree trunks while climbing and drilling. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 20-22 cm - **Wingspan:** 34-39 cm - **Weight:** 0.043-0.061 kg - **Lifespan:** 4-7 years - **Speed:** 40 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-7 - **Incubation:** 14-15 days - **Migration Distance:** 1500 km ## Diet & Feeding They mainly drink sweet tree sap and eat insects caught in their sap wells. - **Primary Foods:** tree sap, ants, beetles, spiders, berries - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** Ponderosa Pine (*Pinus ponderosa*) — Drills sap wells in its bark for food. - **Eats:** Silvery Wood Ant (*Formica argentea*) — Catches ants attracted to sap wells. - **Eaten by:** [Sharp-shinned Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sharp-shinned-hawk) (*Accipiter striatus*) — Is a prey item for this agile forest hawk. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Red-breasted Sapsucker? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Red-breasted Sapsucker? 20-22 cm ### What is Red-breasted Sapsucker's wingspan? 34-39 cm ### How much does Red-breasted Sapsucker weigh? 0.043-0.061 kg ### How long does Red-breasted Sapsucker live? 4-7 years ### How fast can Red-breasted Sapsucker move? 40 km/h ### What does Red-breasted Sapsucker eat? They mainly drink sweet tree sap and eat insects caught in their sap wells. ### Where is Red-breasted Sapsucker usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Sitka National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sitka-national-historical-park) — US · National Park - [Englishman River Falls Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/englishman-river-falls-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Ross Lake National Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ross-lake-national-recreation-area) — Washington, US · National Park - [Aurora Colony](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/aurora-colony) — Oregon, US · Neighborhood - [Columbia State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/columbia-state-historic-park) — California, US · State Park - [International Rose Test Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/international-rose-test-garden) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Red-breasted Sapsucker](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/red-breasted-sapsucker) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Red-breasted Sapsucker: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-breasted-sapsucker)