Date: 3/30/26 7:19 pm From: Paul Conover via groups.io <zoiseaux...> Subject: [labird] the Vermilion Parish sapsucker
Labird,
Labird,
In reviewing eBird records this evening I came upon a record that
I've given a lot of thought to, the Red-naped--or more accurately until
LBRC review, red-naped--Sapsucker from Vermilion Parish this winter.
This record spawned a lot of confusion from the birders that looked for
it or saw it because of its varying appearance in the field and in
photographs.
The first batch of photos of the bird probably set the mental
image of the bird for many searchers. Some of those very nice photos
showed a vivid, fairly broad red nape patch and a similarly vivid red
throat patch overriding the enclosing black border on the side. The next
party that saw it likewise got nice looks and pics, but a study of their
pics shows that the field marks show variable looks in different light
angles and poses; in some, the nape patch looks broad and deeply tinted,
while in others the nape patch looks narrow and, well, patchy.
Some time after that I was with a party that got looks and
pictures of the bird. Looking at the photos, there was a question as to
whether this was the same red-naped bird. The nape patch was not
particularly broad or vivid in the views we got, nor in the photos.
However, a comparison of the different photo sets from different groups
showed verifiable proof that it was the same bird in all sightings.
The record I reviewed tonight was a checklist with a photo that
had been mulled over by other birders soon after the sighting and
assigned to the Yellow-bellied/Red-naped category. However, the observer
was kind enough to share the photo with me and I was able to see that it
was the same bird as in the other photo sets. The lighting was harsh and
the features not super easy to see, but it was definitely the same bird.
I marked the eBird sighting "Confirmed" pending LBRC review. Tonight I
noticed that the same record was back in the eBird review queue as it
had been pinged by a member of the eBird audience as having been
misidentified; the confusion over the record had reared its red-naped
head once again. In this case the audience member felt that the bird had
the markings of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker instead, and mentioned the
reported presence of an adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker with a red
nape at this site this winter. However, I compared the photos again and
again came to the conclusion that it was same red-naped sapsucker
photographed by all other groups.
That raises the question of whether there was actually more
than one red-naped bird there. With due respect to other birders, I
haven't seen any proof that there was. I visited the site several times
and saw at least three adult male and one female Yellow-bellieds there,
all photographed or seen well and none showed any red tint to the nape.
I also saw the red-naped bird on four occasions and noted how its
appearance varied depending on light, angle, posture, and distance. I
would be forced to guess that the presumed presence of a red-naped
Yellow-bellied there resulted from sightings of the real red-naped bird
either seen poorly or simply not presenting according to the search
image expectations.
The fieldmarks really did vary in many ways. In some light, a
black throat border definitely seemed present, and a few seconds later
and at a different angle, the black border seemed magically gone,
replaced by red. I don't know if that was all lighting, or if the red
feathering was a "combover" that shifted position in different postures,
but the effect was notable. The dorsal stripes also seemed to broaden or
narrow due to posture, going from "Yellow-bellied-like" to
"Red-naped-like" in seconds. Given that these marking are what birders
look at to rule out hybrids or red-naped Yellow-bellieds, the
implications are pretty obvious.
Most interesting and highlighting the role that subjectivity
plays in the ID of this species pair was that one birder that
photographed the bird stated at that time that the supercilium was
narrow and ideal for Red-naped, but in connection to the disputed pic of
the same bird that I reviewed tonight, focused on features other than
the supercilium. That's probably pretty natural, as the width of this
white stripe is incredibly variable from bird to bird and even on the
same bird changes greatly due to posture, and molt and wear according to
season.
I've always felt that Red-naped Sapsucker is one of the most
misunderstood ID challenges out there, typically because birders have
way too narrow of an ID image of this species in which no two birds look
alike. Luckily that uniqueness was a plus this time in keeping track of
various sightings and sorting out confusion, and hopefully I won't have
to re-re-review the disputed pic! Let's leave that for the LBRC.
