A very sharp looking woodpecker, the yellow-bellied sapsucker is quite common further north in Ontario, especially in the Algonquin Park area. Their distinctive “wells” that they drill in trees serve as a food source for hummingbirds, who arrive in the northern forests well before plants begin to flower, and are thus very dependent on the sapsuckers for the sap their wells produce. The sap attracts bugs and other prey items for the sapsucker. As a result of the damage to the tree, sapsuckers are important agents of change in the northern forests.
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Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker with food (click to enlarge) - Canon 1DIII - 800/5.6IS
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at wells (click to enlarge) - Canon 1DIII - 800/5.6IS
