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

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

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
GenusSphyrapicus (Sapsuckers)
SpeciesSphyrapicus varius (Yellow-bellied Sapsucker)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Yosemite National Park

1 Verified sightings at Yosemite National Park From 2019 to 2026

7,790 Verified sightings across all 51 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 Yosemite National Park

Sphyrapicus ruber

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Sphyrapicus thyroideus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Sphyrapicus nuchalis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Colaptes auratus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Leuconotopicus villosus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Melanerpes formicivorus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Leuconotopicus albolarvatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Dryocopus pileatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Dryobates pubescens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Picoides arcticus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Dryobates nuttallii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Melanerpes lewis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~30%
2	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
3	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
4	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~10%
5	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
6	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
7	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
8	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
9	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
10	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
11	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
12	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
13	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
14	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
15	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
16	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
17	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
18	Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park	🇯🇲 Jamaica	<5%
19	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
20	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
21	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
22	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
23	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
24	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
25	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
26	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
27	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
28	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
29	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
30	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
31	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
32	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
34	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
35	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
36	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
37	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
38	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
39	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
40	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
41	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
42	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
43	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
44	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
45	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
46	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
47	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
48	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
49	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
50	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
51	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

← Back to Yosemite National Park

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

About the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Recent sightings of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Yosemite National Park

Closest Relatives at Yosemite National Park

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Williamson's Sapsucker

Red-naped Sapsucker

Northern Flicker

Hairy Woodpecker

Acorn Woodpecker

White-headed Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Black-backed Woodpecker

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Lewis's Woodpecker

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found