Species: Sphyrapicus nuchalis

Red-naped Sapsucker

Species

Show on Lists

Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

like yellow-bellied sapsucker; typical drumming pattern is a burst of several rapid thumps followed by several slow, rhythmic thumps (Peterson 1990, Howell and Webb 1995). Like other sapsuckers, leaves distinctive sign in horizontal rows of small, squarish sap wells around tree trunks, especially in broad-leaved trees. See Devillers (1970) and Dunn (1978) for detailed information on identification.

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Craniata

Class

Aves

Order

Piciformes

Family

Picidae

Genus

Sphyrapicus

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101489

Classification

Other Global Common Names

Chupasavia Nuca Roja - Pic à nuque rouge

Informal Taxonomy

Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Other Birds

Formal Taxonomy

Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Piciformes - Picidae - Sphyrapicus - based both on allozymes (Johnson and Zink 1983) and mtDNA sequences (Cicero and Johnson 1995), the latter authors cited the mating preference study as sufficient reason to regard the two taxa as distinct biologic species.

Ecology and Life History

Short General Description

A bird (sapsucker).

Migration

false - true - true - Arrives in northern Rocky Mountains mainly April-May, departs late summer to early fall. In California, migrates north between end of March to end of April; fall migration lasts from September through the end of October (USDA Forest Service 1994). A transient and winter visitor in northwestern Mexico from late September to mid-April (Howell and Webb 1995).

Non-migrant

false

Locally Migrant

true

Food Comments

Drills rows of small holes in conifer and broad-leaved trees and drinks the sap that flows from these holes; also feeds on insects caught in the sap. Amount of sap taken and tree species used vary seasonally (Scott et al. 1977). Sap is most important in seasons when insects are not abundant. Also feeds on tree cambium, ants, beetles, wasps, caterpillars, beetles, and small amounts of fruit and berries (Scott et al. 1977, USDA Forest Service 1994).

Reproduction Comments

Lays four to five eggs incubated by both female and male; incubation 12-13 days; young altricial; 25-26 days to fledging; both sexes attend young (Ehrlich et al. 1988). In Colorado, nests with eggs recorded throughout June. Nestlings noted late June to mid-July in Montana and Wyoming (Johnsgard 1986). In central Arizona, 100 percent of 18 nests monitored successfully fledged young (Li and Martin 1991). Re-use of same nest tree, but with a new cavity, each year suggests strong site fidelity (USDA Forest Service 1994).

Ecology Comments

Considered a "double keystone" species for its role excavating nest cavities and drilling sap wells, both of which are subsequently use by other species (Ehrlich and Daily 1988, Daily et al. 1993). Nest cavities are subsequently used by secondary cavity nesters, such as tree swallows (TACHYCINETA BICOLOR), violet-green swallows (TACHYCINETA THALASSINA), mountain bluebirds (SIALIA CURRUCOIDES), chickadees (POECILE spp.), northern flickers (COLAPTES AURATUS), and house wrens (TROGLODYTES AEDON; Daily et al. 1993). In one study, tree swallows and violet-green swallows were restricted to groves occupied by sapsuckers (Daily et al. 1993). Sap wells are used by 40+ species, including hummingbirds, warblers, chipmunks, squirrels, wasps and butterflies (Phillips 1964, Daily et al. 1993). Centers of breeding abundance in British Columbia, the northern Rockies, northeastern Oregon, and the Colorado Rockies (Sauer et al. 1997). In Pacific Northwest, territory size reported as 4 hectares (Bull 1978). In California, defends territories 0.6 to 6.0 hectares in size (USDA Forest Service 1994). Hybridizes with red-breasted sapsucker (SPHYRAPICUS RUBER) and yellow-bellied sapsucker (SPHYRAPICUS VARIUS) where distributions overlap and may produce viable hybrid offspring; hybrid and backcross matings, however, are apparently selected against (Scott et al. 1976, Johnson and Johnson 1985).

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

2009-03-06

Global Status Last Changed

1996-12-02

Other Status

LC - Least concern

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

G - 200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles) - G - Nesting range includes the Rocky Mountain region from the southeastern quarter of British Columbia, southwestern and southeastern Alberta, western and central Montana, and the Black Hills of South Dakota south, east of Cascades and Sierra Nevada, to east-central California, southern Nevada, central Arizona, southern New Mexico, and extreme western Texas (Davis and Guadalupe mountains) (AOU 1998). During the nonbreeding season, the range extends from southern California (casually Oregon), southern Nevada, Utah, and central New Mexico south to southern Baja California, Jalisco, Durango, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon (AOU 1998). Casual or accidental records exist elsewhere. Coded range extent refers to breeding range.

Global Range Code

Global Range Description

200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101489