General Description: Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus varius) are small woodpeckers with a generally dark appearance. The back is dark, but ladder-backed. The face has striking black and white stripes with red on the forehead. The bib is black, and the rest of the underparts are yellow. There is a long, bold white line on the folded wing, but it doesn't always show. Adult males have a red chin. Juveniles are darker, lacking the bright red and yellow colors.

Favored Habitat: Coniferous and mixed forests.

Where to Find: Don't look for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them in most of North America except the American West. They do, however, lose track of themselves and fly too far west once in a while.

Comments: Sapsuckers drill shallow holes in tree trunks that are lined up in orderly rows. The tree tries to sap over the hole, and insects are attracted to the sap. Later, the sapsucker comes back, eats the bugs, and tops off the meal with a drink of sweet sap.