![]() I have no idea whether the pair migrate south for the winter together, or whether they agree to take a break from each other. They mate for life, and often return to the same nest year every year, with the pair sharing nesting duties. In their breeding grounds yellow-bellied sapsuckers excavate a large cavity in a softwood tree as a nest. Woodpeckers may not be as vocally adept as other species, but they do use churrs, purrs, rattles, chatters, screeches, and other short sounds, such as peek and pik notes. There are several palms along the Delphi beach, and this year I noted that one coconut palm in particular had seen plenty of sapsucker action, with the drill holes girdling the entire trunk from top to bottom. Calls may signal alarm, show agitation, or send a signal to a mate. On Abaco, palms are a favourite tree for the sapsuckers. This may require preventive measures in orchards for example, though note that in the US Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are listed and protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act so radical action is prohibited. The once in a lifetime encounter between the starling and the great spotted. This is sometimes described as ‘girdling’ and may have a damaging effect on a tree, sometimes even killing it if the bark is severely harmed. The moment a woodpecker battles a starling in the sky in a dramatic fight for food has been captured on camera. The call of the Hairy Woodpecker is loud and hairy, like a heavy metal band Full Transcript Credits Tags: birdwatching, birdwatching by ear, sound, forest, woodpecker Sights & Sounds By Jason McCue Jason McCue is the newest member of the BirdNote communications team. The distinctive patterns of sapsucker holes may completely encircle the trunk of a tree with almost mathematical precision. The call of the Downy Woodpecker is soft and downy, like a duvet. They balance their diet with fruit and berries. They’ll also eat insects on an undrilled tree, and even ‘hawk’ for them in flight. ![]() The dual purpose is to release the sap, which it eats, and to attract insects that it also eats. Like its woodpecker cousins, the sapsucker drills holes in trees (see below). There is a third, migratory woodpecker species that is a fairly common winter resident, the yellow-bellied sapsucker. The most common call of the Hairy Woodpecker is a short, sharp peek note very similar to Downy Woodpeckers, but slightly lower pitched and often sounding more emphatic. Abaco has two permanently resident woodpecker species, the WEST INDIAN WOODPECKER and the HAIRY WOODPECKER. You’re ahead of me here, aren’t you? The answer of course is… Sphyrapicus varius. This species and the Downy Woodpecker are remarkably similar in pattern, differing mainly in size and bill shape. The call of the Downy Woodpecker is soft and downy, like a duvet. WHICH ABACO BIRD HAS A YELLOW BELLY & SUCKS SAP? But even if you can’t observe these spunky birds, you can identify them by listening carefully.
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