Verification of Unusual Sight Record
For Utah

Rec. # 2020-11


Common name:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Scientific name: Sphyrapicus varius
Date: 4/17/20
Time: 3:50pm
Length of time observed: 5 minutes
Number: 1
Age: don't know see pic
Sex: don't know see pic
Location: Park City, Old Town (50 feet to Main Street); side yard pine tree
County: Summit
Latilong: 40.6461° N, 111.4980° W
Elevation: 7150 ft
Distance to bird: 10
Optical equipment: Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Weather: beautiful early spring day
Light Conditions: shady
Description:        Size of bird: average
(Description:)       Basic Shape: birdlike
(Description:)  Overall Pattern: Beak: black ; Head: red cap, black head band with small red tab/patch at back of head, white stripe above eye; black stripe going over eye and toward back of head , white stripe below that; Under Beak: red patch, with black patch below that; Chest: ever so slightly yellow hewed double puff, with chest to sides of yellow hewed puff mainly blk/wt herring bone; Wing: black around fore-edge; Back: black going down back
(Description:)            Bill Type:  see pic
(Description:)                              
Field Marks and
Identifying Characteristics:
(see photos)
Song or call & method of delivery: I sang Black Bird, Lullaby of Birdland, Rubber Ducky, Lullaby of the Leaves, Three Little Birds. YBSap paused briefly and I'm confident was listening, but no applause or tip in the tip jar for me. I'm not a very good singer.
Behavior:  On main vert trunk of tree. Pecking at something, sap I suppose, or maybe small insects, but working its way around the trunk and leaving divots in fairly uniform looking pattern,like an old computer basic programming chad card, so I'm going with the sap theory.
Habitat: YBSap on a Pine; Choke Cherry starting to budd, Aspen; Box Elder in immediate vicinity.
Similar species and how
were they eliminated:
Not sure which sub-species Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Previous experience with
this & similar species:
Never. Beautiful bird
References consulted: Searched online with general visual description, found a similar pic, then searched Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, hit on utahbirds.org
Description from:  From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting
Observer: Keith Aran
Observer's address: Daly Ave/Main St, Park City, Utah
Observer's e-mail address: **
Other observers who independently identified this bird: My cat, Fasola. She seemed more interested from a culinary point of view.
Date prepared: 4/17/20
Additional material: Photos
Additional comments:  I took a few pics with my ph, but it's having a compatibility issue with my email hosting and won't allow me to attach. I can ping a text if you like, just send your # to my email above.