Williamson's Sapsucker Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesWilliamson's Sapsucker
Male
Large sapsucker. Males are mostly black above with vertical white wing patches and 2 white stripes on the face. Note small red throat patch and yellow belly (not visible in photo).
© Sharif Uddin / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 31, 2020Adult female
Females have fine horizontal black-and-white barring on the back and a brown head. Females also have a black breast patch (not visible in the photo).
© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay LibraryColorado, May 24, 2016Adult male
A medium-sized woodpecker with a stout, medium-sized bill. Adult male is velvety black above, with a white wing patch and a yellow belly. Male's striking head pattern includes a white line behind the eye, a white stripe from the base of the bill to the lower cheek, and a red throat.
© Anonymous / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 01, 2021Not all videos have sound
Male
Large sapsucker. Black above with vertical white wing patches, 2 white stripes on the face, and a red throat patch. The lower belly is yellow.
© Ad Konings / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, October 09, 2020Adult male
Excavates holes in trees, often those with a fungal infection, which makes excavating the hole easier. Males and females feed the nestlings and carry away fecal matter from the nest.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryMontana, June 01, 2001Not all videos have sound
Juvenile male
Juvenile males look like adult males but lack the red throat.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryNevada, July 27, 2019Juvenile female
Juvenile females look like adult females but are paler overall and lack the black breast patch.
© Bryan Calk / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, August 03, 2020Similar SpeciesBlack-backed Woodpecker
Male
Black-backed Woodpeckers have a single white stripe on the face, while Williamson Sapsuckers have two white stripes. They also lack the Williamson's Sapsucker's white wing patch.
© Luke Berg / Macaulay LibraryOntario, January 29, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-naped Sapsucker
Male
Red-naped Sapsuckers have red caps unlike Black-backed Woodpeckers, which have a black cap.
© Mark Chavez / Macaulay LibraryColorado, June 30, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-naped Sapsucker
Juvenile
Juvenile Red-naped Sapsuckers have two stripes on their face unlike the clean face of female and juvenile Williamson's Sapsuckers.
© Bobby Dailey / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, July 10, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-breasted Sapsucker
Juvenile
Juvenile Red-breasted Sapsuckers have much darker heads than juvenile or female Williamson's Sapsuckers. They also have a white wing patch that female and juvenile Williamson's Sapsuckers lack.
© Jody Wells / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, July 07, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Woodpeckers(Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae)
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