Boulder Sapsucker ID help please (Boulder County)

[Richard Trinkner]

Hi folks,

This morning I photographed a sapsucker at the Boulder Community Gardens. My tentative ID is that it's a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, but it confuses me because it doesn't show white wing patches. I'd appreciate any ID suggestions. 

Photos are at https://ebird.org/checklist/S205728343.

I'm thinking that this bird is a young female, transitioning between juvenile and adult plumage. There's a red patch on the top of the head but a white throat patch. It's speckled overall, with a general dark appearance. It has faint yellow coloring to the belly. Maybe the white wing patches are actually covered by the wind-blown chest feathers. 

I saw the same bird exactly a week ago to the hour on the same tree. It puzzled me a week ago because I didn't see white wing patches then either.  A week ago, I didn't have my camera.

The habitat is north-central Boulder on the edge of a suburban housing development about 3/4 east of the foothills. 

Thanks,

Richard Trinkner

Boulder County

[Jim Nelson]

Richard,

I think this is most likely an immature female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  It looks like birds I see here in Maryland in the fall/winter.  I think an immature male would be showing at least a hint of red feathering coming in on the throat given the extent of red showing on this bird the top of its head.

Jim Nelson

Bethesda, Maryland

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[Jeff P]

In examining some of Jim Ward's photos of the same bird in the below checklist it does look like the top tip of the white wing patch is visible, with the rest of it covered up by a few side/flank feathers that are untucked covering over the wing. Also Jim had shared a back of camera view with a BoCo chat group that showed a bit more of a white wing patch. In your photos it looks like a similar thing is happening >> if you look at where primaries are, the primary/secondary coverts appear to be mostly covered by untucked side/flank feathers.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S205742683

Good birding,

Jeff Percell

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[Richard Trinkner]

Consensus is that this bird is a young female Yellow-billed Sapsucker. The white wing patch seems to be obscured by chest feathers in my photos. 

This morning she was back at the same pine tree as yesterday.  

Thanks to those who helped me with the ID!

Richard Trinkner

Boulder

On Dec 17, 2024, at 4:43 PM, Richard Trinkner <Rtri...@icloud.com> wrote: