Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2024-71
| Common name: |
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| Scientific name: | Sphyrapicus varius |
| Date: | 10/7/2024 |
| Time: | ~7:30am |
| Length of time observed: | An hour off and on |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | adult |
| Sex: | male |
| Location: | Fish Springs NWR-employee housing |
| County: | Juab |
| Latilong: | 39.839515,-113.4033049 |
| Elevation: | ~4,400ft |
| Distance to bird: | 5m at closest |
| Optical equipment: | Nikon 10x42 Binoculars |
| Weather: | Sunny, clear and calm, 55F |
| Light Conditions: | Good, just after sunrise |
| Description: Size of bird: | medium sized woodpecker |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | typical woodpecker |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | black, white and red |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | chisel shaped |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
As I walked outside to drink my coffee before dawn, I heard the
distinctive shoft tapping of a sapsucker in the trees above. I alerted
Max to it and after some time we located the Sapsucker. It was very
skulky and always kept high and on the back side of branches, but my 1st
look I noted it did not have any red on the nape, but I had an
incomplete view of the throat so wasn't sure if it was a female Red-naped(which
can have minimal red on the nape), a hybrid or pure bird. It took some
more work but eventually I got a complete look at the throat and noticed
it was all red with an entire black border, making it a pure adult male
Yellow-bellied!. Shortly after Renee joined us and we alerted her of the
bird. We spent the next 1/2 hour getting photos and better looks, then
got distracted by other birds, but then saw it again a few time before
we left for the morning. Important field marks: All red throat with a complete black border Red crown but no red on the nape Mostly white back with a black stripe down the middle (see photos) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | Light tapping heard, no vocalizations |
| Behavior: | Drilling and working wells in the tops of elms, often flying from tree to tree |
| Habitat: | Oasis of a few scattered trees in employee house of NWR, near a large wetland on the south end of the Salt flats |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Red-naped Sapsucker: Usually have red on the nape, female usually have a
red and white throat. Males have a red throat that bleeds into the black
border, and sometimes some red on the cheek. Less white on the back,
more of a thin white strip down the back, more black than white. We
later found a male Red-naped that morning at a different part of the NWR,
and noted the red throat without a black border and red on the nape,
plus less white on the back, giving great comparisons. Hybrid RNSA X YBSA are variable but usually show intermediate characteristics such as some red bleeding into the black border on the throat but no red on the nape, or a red and white throat with minimal red on the nape(female), an intermediate amount of white on the back. This bird had no intermediate characteristics, so shows no obvious sign of hybridization |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
Yes, my 15th YBSA(4th adult male), many with RNSA and a few hybrids as well |
| References consulted: | Memory. |
| Description from: |
Notes taken at the time of the sighting From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting |
| Observer: | Bryant Olsen |
| Observer's address: | 84102 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Max Malmquist and Renee Tressler were with me and also observed the bird |
| Date prepared: | 10/8/24 |
| Additional material: | |
| Additional comments: | eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S197919955 |