"Bird of the Month" Profiles:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
(Sphyrapicus varius)

Length: 9 inches
Wingspan: 16 inches
Weight: 50 grams
Diet: Insects

Southward migration begins in September, females departing first and adult males last. Migration is primarily well east of the Rocky Mountains, mostly at night and often in flocks.Males typically winter in the U.S., from Kansas and Long Island south, while most females travel to the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America; birds at the northern edge are virtually all male and those at the southern extreme female. Spring migration is essentially a mirror image of fall migration. Males typically arrive on the breeding grounds by late March in the south, early May in the north.

(Birding content courtesy of Boreal Songbird Initiative & eNature)

Range and Migration Map

Arrows represent general migration routes. The arrows do not necessarily link specific breeding and wintering grounds.

The following shade-grown varieties of COFFEE FOR THE BIRDS™ help to preserve winter habitat for this species:

• Mexico
• Mexico Decaf
• Guatemala
• Guatemala VR
• Costa Rica