Williamson's Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus thyroideus

OrderPiciformes

FamilyPicidae

HabitatHigh-elevation conifer forest, especially pine and fir

SeasonRare visitor to the Trans-Pecos mountains, mostly fall and winter

LocationThe Bowl, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, Culberson County, Texas

Size8-9.5 inches

DietTree sap and the insects drawn to it; ants in the breeding season

ConservationLeast Concern (IUCN)

CameraNikon Z9Lens800mmAperturef/8Shutter1/1250ISO800

Williamson's Sapsucker clinging to a pine at The Bowl.

About the Williamson's Sapsucker

Williamson's Sapsucker may be the most striking example of a male and female looking completely different. The male is glossy black with bold white face stripes, a red throat, and a yellow belly. The female is brown with fine black barring and a plain brown head.

The two were so different that early naturalists described them as separate species. The mix-up was only solved in 1873, when a pair was found at the same nest. Like other sapsuckers, it drills neat rows of wells in tree bark and returns to drink the sap.

In Texas it is a rare find, mostly in the high conifers of the Guadalupe Mountains. These photographs come from The Bowl in Guadalupe Mountains National Park on August 27, 2023.

Want to see a Williamson's Sapsucker in the wild?
Join one of my guided birding tours! Fine art prints of my photos are also available.

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