Sapsucker
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| Sapsuckers | ||||||||||||
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| Missing image YellowBelliedSapsucker23.jpg image:YellowBelliedSapsucker23.jpg | ||||||||||||
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Sphyrapicus varius |
The Sapsuckers form the genus Sphyrapicus within the woodpecker family Picidae.
Species currently recognised include:
- Williamson's Sapsucker Sphyrapicus thyroideus
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
- Red-naped Sapsucker Sphyrapicus nuchalis,
- Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber,
All are found in North America.
As their name implies, sapsuckers feed partly on the sap of trees (though they do also eat insects). In consequence, they bore numerous holes in the bark, and are sometimes thought of as a pest by foresters.