The Red-breasted Sapsucker is the most boldly colored sapsucker in North America, with an entirely red head and breast that is unmistakable. It drills parallel rows of sap wells in a wide variety of trees along the Pacific Coast and Cascades. Its sap wells are used by a host of other wildlife, including Rufous Hummingbirds that time their migration to follow sapsucker activity northward.
Best time to see a Red-breasted Sapsucker
The best time to see a Red-breasted Sapsucker is January–July, when about 65% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 11,028 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Red-breasted Sapsucker? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Red-breasted Sapsucker sightings near you
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