Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)
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Red-breasted Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus ruber (Gmelin, JF, 1788)

55 gWeight

The red-breasted sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the forests of the west coast of North America.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Red-breasted Sapsucker has been recorded at 158 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWRUnited States4,514 records
  2. Mt. Tabor ParkUnited States4,504 records
  3. Marymoor ParkUnited States3,094 records
More places
  1. Pittock MansionUnited States2,165 records
  2. Juanita Bay ParkUnited States1,808 records
  3. Railroad Bridge ParkUnited States1,584 records
  4. Metchosin – Pedder BayCanada1,481 records
  5. Nanaimo – Buttertubs West MarshCanada1,396 records
  6. Lake Sammamish SPUnited States1,368 records
  7. Whitaker Ponds Nature ParkUnited States1,271 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesCanadaMexico

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The red-breasted sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the forests of the west coast of North America.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Red-breasted Sapsucker?

The Red-breasted Sapsucker weighs around 55 g.

Where does the Red-breasted Sapsucker live?

Its breeding range: North America: western. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Red-breasted Sapsucker?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Red-breasted Sapsucker endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-breasted Sapsucker as Least Concern.

What does the Red-breasted Sapsucker eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Red-breasted Sapsucker in?

It belongs to the family Woodpeckers (Picidae), order Piciformes.

At a glance

Weight
55 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
127 mm
Tail
81 mm
Bill
26 mm
Tarsus
22 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: western

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Woodpeckers Picidae
Genus
Sphyrapicus

Other birds in the genus Sphyrapicus

Williamson's SapsuckerWilliamson's SapsuckerSphyrapicus thyroideusYellow-bellied SapsuckerYellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusRed-naped SapsuckerRed-naped SapsuckerSphyrapicus nuchalisEurasian WryneckEurasian WryneckJynx torquillaRed-throated WryneckRed-throated WryneckJynx ruficollisSpeckled PiculetSpeckled PiculetPicumnus innominatusBar-breasted PiculetBar-breasted PiculetPicumnus aurifronsLafresnaye's PiculetLafresnaye's PiculetPicumnus lafresnayiOrinoco PiculetOrinoco PiculetPicumnus pumilusGolden-spangled PiculetGolden-spangled PiculetPicumnus exilis
Red-breasted Sapsucker

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by markhagg. ↗

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