Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker known for its unique feeding habit of drilling neat rows of holes in tree bark. Adults have a red forehead (and throat in males), a black-and-white patterned body, and a distinctive long white wing patch that is visible even when the bird is perched.

Bold, high-contrast black and white horizontal barring. The black is deep and melanistic; the white bars are clean and distinct. This 'ladder-back' pattern is diagnostic of several woodpecker species.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous barbs throughout most of the vane; plumulaceous (downy) barbs at the very base for insulation.

The rachis is dark (black/dark brown), stiff and slightly curved. Barbs are densely packed, maintaining a firm aerodynamic surface.

Stiff and smooth with a slight gloss on the black bars. The feather is engineered for the high-stress environment of flight and drumming.

Wing; specifically a remex (flight feather). The straightness of the rachis suggests an inner primary or a secondary feather.

Sharp black-and-white horizontal barring, small size, and a dark rachis. This specific 'zebra stripe' pattern on flight feathers is a hallmark of the sapsucker genus.

Mixed coniferous and deciduous forests, especially areas with young trees or birch, aspen, and maple which are preferred for sapwells.

Breeds across Canada and the northeastern US; migrates to the southern US, Mexico, and Central America for the winter.

A keystone species; they create food sources (sap) and nesting cavities used by dozens of other species of birds and mammals.

Hairy Woodpecker (larger, different barring spacing), Downy Woodpecker (smaller, fewer bars), and Northern Flicker (which has yellow or red shafts).

The sapwells they drill are vital for other wildlife; hummingbirds, for example, often follow sapsuckers to feed on the sap and the insects attracted to it.

Woodpecker feathers have historical significance in some indigenous North American cultures, often associated with protection or hard work. In modern times, they are subjects of study for their impact on tree health.

Look for these feathers at the base of trees with fresh sapwells or near nesting cavities in dead trees during late summer molting periods.

Very good condition. The barbs are intact and zipped together; there is little evidence of wear or sun-bleaching, suggesting it was molted recently.