Date: 10/27/24 2:34 pm From: Steve Rottenborn via groups.io <srottenborn...> Subject: Re: [southbaybirds] Hybrid Sapsucker?
Hi Diane,
What I see in the sharper photo looks OK for a pure hatch-year male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, not a hybrid. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have a later pre-formative molt than Red-naped Sapsuckers do, so they tend to have more brownish/dingy juvenile feathering at this time of year than Red-naped Sapsuckers. If the bird has any red feathering in the breast (which isn't visible in the photos), that would indicate a hybrid with Red-breasted, but otherwise, I'd call this a pure Yellow-bellied.
Steve Rottenborn
Morgan Hill, CA
-----Original Message-----
From: <southbaybirds...> [mailto:<southbaybirds...>] On Behalf Of Diane McCoy via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2024 12:45 PM
To: <southbaybirds...>
Subject: [southbaybirds] Hybrid Sapsucker?
Hi everyone.
this morning on a SCVBA Field trip our group spotted this sapsucker in a cypress tree going back-and-forth the walkway just right in front of the lawn and mausoleum at Stanford cactus garden area. We are not sure what sapsucker it is; perhaps a hybrid yellow bellied sap sucker? So look forward to your expert identification.
help. The coordinates to find it is in one of the included photos. Thank you very much Diane McCoy.
Do not disclose information that identifies the location of nesting birds of any species, to minimize stress on the nesting birds and the risk of vandalism or abuse.
