Description
This species measures 19–23 cm (7.5–9.1 in) long and weighs 32–66 g (1.1–2.3 oz). Adults have a black head with a red forehead, white stripes, and a red spot on the nape; they have a white lower belly and rump. They have a yellow breast and upper belly. They are black on the back and wings with white bars; they have a large white wing patch. Adult males have a red throat patch; for females, the lower part of the throat is red, the upper part white.
These birds migrate south and vacate areas at higher elevations.
True to their name, and like other sapsuckers, they drill holes in trees and eat the sap as well as insects attracted to it. They sometimes catch insects in flight; they also eat seeds and berries.
This bird used to be considered a subspecies of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Read more about this topic: Red-naped Sapsucker
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