Red-naped Sapsucker

(Red-naped Sapsucker

Klamath Falls is on the very western edge of this sapsucker’s range. The bird is so rarely seen, I was lucky to find a nesting pair two summers ago. I visited their home almost daily and watched their brood grow to adults. Last summer mom and dad were back, frequenting the same nest tree, but no chicks appeared. Good years and bad years, I guess.

This bird and the other members of the group give away their locations by drilling neat horizontal rows of shallow holes in the bark of trees. The cavities fill with sap, traps that attract insects. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served whenever the insectivorous sapsuckers return to gather their bounty.

Nope, they don’t drink or “suck” the sap. The sap’s only role is to attract insects.