No subject

There are two choices. Is it an adult Yellow-bellied or juvenile Red-naped?=
=20


If I may, I might take a more reciprocal approach to the bird.
If the bird were to be an adult, wouldn't there be more extensive black on =
the upper breast?  More distinct borders between plumage lines on the head?=
 And although the yellow in the lower belly may be less intense in the wint=
er than say the summer, wouldn'nt there still be more of a hint of yellow i=
n an adult than an immature?  Wouldn't there be more white than brown in th=
e speckled pattern on the back of an adult?

I don't see a black upper breast in either photo, clear distinct, or even s=
omewhat distinct edges, and very little impression of yellow in the lower b=
elly (may be a weak mark, but I believe that it continues to add support to=
 the other marks). It appears that the back pattern  is more white than bro=
wn, but that could arguably be a very subjective call.

The following answers lead to my conclusion that the bird in the photo is a=
n immature. And with that status, comes some more questions. Wouldn't an im=
mature Red-naped Sapsucker be further along in its molt-to-adult pattern th=
an an immature Yellow-bellied Sapsucker? (molt pattern studies show most Ye=
llow-bellied Sapsuckers molt later into winter and show less head patterns =
and are not present yet, or much less complete especially in early fall) If=
 the head pattern appears to be complete, back towards the nape, then would=
 the nape pattern also be present to view? (the amount of red nape can vary=
, but does not appear to be present). Is the red on the crown developed all=
 the way back to the nape? (It does not appear to be extended all the way b=
ack to where I believe it would by the time it reaches full development) So=
, that begs the question, Is the nape not present because plumage molt has =
not reached that point, or due to hybridization, where the nape is less due=
 to being  "washed out".=20

It appears that the bird has plumage development (almost if not all the way=
 complete), in its head patterns that is ahead of where Yellow-bellied Saps=
ucker immature would be in early fall. I don't see extensive brown in upper=
 back, suggesting that the plumage there has progressed also. I would expec=
t that an immature  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker to show a more "golden-brown" =
at this time of year.  The lack of the red in the nape seems to be the hang=
-up. I would say, based on the above, that the bird in the photo is at leas=
t an immature Red-naped Sapsucker, or that it, an immature Red-naped Sapsuc=
ker, has some Yellow-bellied genes. I don't know what impact those genes wo=
uld have on the timing of the molt, but if they have the same influence on =
immatures, then the molt timing would be delayed like a Yellow-bellied. So,=
 I'm inclined to speculate that the bird has not developed its head pattern=
 all the way back and that the red in the nape is still to come. (and I kno=
w that this may be far reaching, and in no way influenced my conclusion, bu=
t I think there's at least one pixel of red in the lower image... Ha!)

I've seen plenty of sapsuckers, adults and immatures, but only 1 winter imm=
ature Yellow-bellied. So, in that regard, some of the comments are based on=
 reading.=20

Anyway, there's my analogy, give or take argument. I still think it was in =
interesting exersize.

Kevin Spencer
rriparia at charter.net