[obol] Commentary on Fern Ridge YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER

[Alan Contreras]

Quite so, Mike mentioned the red cap to me but the description sounded far
too brown for an adult to me, so I called it a juvenile.  Sapsucker plumages
and molt are complex, and there are nasty hybrids to worry about.

-- 
Alan Contreras
EUGENE, OREGON

³Be naughty, save Santa a trip.²

acontrer at mindspring.com
www.OREGONREVIEW.BLOGSPOT.COM ­ Social Commentary
www.CONTRERASBIRDS.BLOGSPOT.COM ­ Current Bird Photos





> From: <celata at pacifier.com>
> Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:18:12 -0800 (PST)
> To: DAVID IRONS <llsdirons at msn.com>
> Cc: OBOL OBOL <obol at lists.oregonstate.edu>
> Subject: Re: [obol] Commentary on Fern Ridge YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
> 
> I also saw the red on the cap and had noted that to Alan in my
> phone call.  The rest of the bird seemed atypical for an adult
> and I am without references here at my folks house. In a
> quick google of photos, I could not find any juveniles with red
> on the head, so I was hoping David got good enough looks to
> sort that part out.
> 
> I assume this is still an OBRC bird and will write "official"
> details when I get home to Astoria tomorrow.
> 
>> 
>> This morning I successfully relocated the YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER found
>> by Mike Patterson.  Upon refinding the bird I was surprised to find that
>> it had a red cap.  When Alan Contreras called to tell me about the bird,
>> he told me it was a juvenile, so I expected to find a brown and buff
>> sapsucker with no red.
>> 
>> Since returning home, I have done some research on this bird wondering if
>> it might be an oddly plumaged Red-naped Sapsucker.  Based on what I've
>> read, primarily "Variation in Red-naped and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker"
>> (Mlodinow, Barry and Cox BIRDING Vol. 38 #6), I have concluded that this
>> bird was indeed a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, albeit one that had gone
>> through an "advanced" molt.
>> 
>> Typically, hatch year Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers suspend their first molt
>> during their southbound migration, maintaining the expected brown and buff
>> plumage until they reach their wintering grounds where they attain their
>> first adult plumage.  However,  Mlodinow et al. found evidence that some
>> Yellow-bellieds continue molting through the fall season allowing for
>> potential confusion with first year Red-naped Sapsuckers, which complete
>> their first molt prior to reaching their wintering grounds.
>> 
>> The Fern Ridge bird showed no red on the nape, had a broad cream-colored
>> supercilium, extensive creamy buff barring on the still brownish back, and
>> also showed extensive brownish buff wash on the flanks.  All these
>> markings suggest Yellow-bellied.  According to Mlodinow et al., virtually
>> all Red-naped Sapsuckers (male and female) show at least some visible red
>> on the nape by October.  This bird also showed a mostly complete black
>> breast and developing black border around the throat which was mostly
>> buffy cream colored.  It appeared to have some emerging red feathers in
>> the lower throat.
>> 
>> This sapsucker remained at the small group of apple tree where Mike first
>> located until about 10:15AM.  Then it flew about 1/4 mile to the east and
>> landed in the large cottonwoods across Royal Ave from the large oak grove
>> (just w. of Fisher Rd.) where the Acorn Woodpeckers are.  Daniel Farrar
>> and an could not relocate it after watching it fly into these trees, and
>> to my knowledge it was not relocated despite the searching of several
>> others.
>> 
>> Dave Irons
>> Eugene, OR
> 
> ---
> Mike Patterson
> 
> 
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