ML615728870
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
A juvenile sapsucker molting into adult plumage at this late date of March is usually a Yellow-bellied sapsucker. This species molts into adult plumage the latest of any of the other sapsuckers that are found in our area. The all-red throat and chin indicates a male and should show a complete black frame around the red. On this bird, the frame is not perfect but that could be something that will improve as the molt moves to completion. The crown is mostly gray spotted but there is a small patch of red in the forecrown and this is typical for a juvenile bird in molt. The spotting on the back is in two general wide "rows" mostly but the spotting appears to be off-white but not more yellow as is typical for Yellow-bellied sap. The breast sides are cream looking and spotted (chevrons pattern) in a creamy color. Below the breast sides is gray in the flank sides. The gray is mixing in with the creamy and black "chevron" patterned feathers We could not get a direct front view of this sapsucker, very elusive tapping high up in smaller pine tree but eventually it flew, and we could not find again. We first discovered it by Debby hearing it tapping (fairly loud) and she saw a large piece of bark fall to the ground. Jim was able to find it after much effort and he worked hard at getting photos. No red was seen in the nape but Red-naped sapsucker don't always show red in nape. This bird could be a hybrid, but it must have a lot of YBSA in it because it is molting so late in the year and generally looks like a Yellow-bellied sapsucker juvenile in molt to us.
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS R7
- Lens
- RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM
- ISO
- 4000
- Focal length
- 400 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- f-stop
- f/9.0
- Shutter speed
- 1/640 sec
- Dimensions
- 1374 pixels x 1764 pixels
- Original file size
- 1.19 MB