Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Silhouette: Nancy Wyman (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusSphyrapicus (Sapsuckers)
- SpeciesSphyrapicus varius (Yellow-bellied Sapsucker)
About the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
The yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) is a medium-sized woodpecker that breeds in Canada and the northeastern United States. The yellow-bellied sapsucker was described and illustrated using a hand-coloured plate by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands which was published between 1729 and 1732. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition, he included the yellow-bellied sapsucker, coined the binomial name Picus varius and cited Catesby's book. The specific epithet varius is the Latin word meaning "various", "diverse" or "variegated". Linnaeus specified the type locality as America septentrionalis (North America) but the locality is now restricted to South Carolina. The yellow-bellied sapsucker is now placed in the genus Sphyrapicus that was erected in 1858 by the American naturalist Spencer Baird with the yellow-bellied sapsucker as the type species. Within the genus Sphyrapicus, the yellow-bellied sapsucker is sister to a clade containing the red-breasted sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) and the red-naped sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Chagres National Park
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Melanerpes pucherani
Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker
Piculus callopterus
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Melanerpes rubricapillus
Lineated Woodpecker
Dryocopus lineatus
Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Campephilus melanoleucos
Red-rumped Woodpecker
Veniliornis kirkii
Golden-green Woodpecker
Piculus chrysochloros
Crimson-bellied Woodpecker
Campephilus haematogaster
Cinnamon Woodpecker
Celeus loricatus
Olivaceous Piculet
Picumnus olivaceus
Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus
Black-mandibled Toucan
Ramphastos ambiguus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Chagres National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker sighting in Chagres National Park, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Chagres National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Chagres National Park in our monthly data.