Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerYellow-bellied SapsuckerYellow-bellied SapsuckerYellow-bellied Sapsucker

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
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Zion National Park
6 Verified sightings at Zion National Park From 2019 to 2026
7,790 Verified sightings across all 51 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ 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 Zion National Park

Red-naped Sapsucker
LC

Red-naped Sapsucker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sphyrapicus nuchalis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Williamson's Sapsucker
LC

Williamson's Sapsucker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sphyrapicus thyroideus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Northern Flicker
LC

Northern Flicker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Colaptes auratus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Hairy Woodpecker
LC

Hairy Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leuconotopicus villosus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Downy Woodpecker
LC

Downy Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dryobates pubescens

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
LC

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dryobates scalaris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Lewis's Woodpecker
LC

Lewis's Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanerpes lewis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Acorn Woodpecker
LC

Acorn Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanerpes formicivorus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Three-toed Woodpecker

American Three-toed Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Picoides dorsalis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Zion National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker sighting in Zion National Park, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Zion National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Zion National Park in our monthly data.

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