Subject: Possible Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Kent, WA
Date: Dec 30 21:04:38 2001
From: Mike Patterson - celata at pacifier.com


A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was seen and photographed during
the Tillamook CBC. Photos were posted at:

http://thebirdguide.com/rarebirds/rare_photos.htm

I have reservations about identifying any bird based purely
on supposed molt timing. This is compounded in sapsuckers
by the high incidence of hybridization.

This would be a species that (I assume) would require careful
documentation for the Washington Records Committee as well as
documentation for the regional CBC editor (yours truely).

You'll note that the Tillamook bird has a very strongly barred
back and an obviously streaked crown with cream ground color
and brown, well defined streaks. So, the bird is in mostly
juvenile plumage AND shows characters that most closely match
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

>From Jeff Gilligan on the Tillamook bird:
"It is mostly in juvenal plumage, going through it first prebasic
molt. Some reddish color has begun to appear on the forecrown.

"I believe that it is a Yellow-bellied based on two things.
1) According to Pyle and other sources, a Red-naped Sapsucker
should have already molted its juvenal plumage, and appear much
like an adult, except for the black chest.

"2) The bird has creamy scalloping on the crown that is easily
visible at times. That is apparently a reliable distinction from
Red-napes, which reportedly always have solidly-colored crowns."

Buteoreg at aol.com wrote:
>
> Hi Tweets,
>
> Today on the Kent-Auburn CBC, Dave Swayne and Carol Johnson found an
> immature plumaged Red-naped or Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Due to the
> fact that Red-naped Sapsuckers apparently molt into an adult plumage
> by mid to late September and Yellow-bellies retain the juvenile head
> pattern into the winter, there is a very good chance this IS a
> Yellow-bellied. According to Ken Kaufmann's 'Advanced Birding' guide
> "any "obvious immature" (his quotes) seen after September is pretty
> certainly a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker."
>

--
Mike Patterson When I despair, I remember
Astoria, OR that all through history
celata at pacifier.com the way of truth and love have always won.
There have been tyrants, and murderers,
and for a time they can seem invincible,
but in the end they always fall.
Think of it...always.
- Mahatma Gandhi

http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html