Kentucky Woodpeckers: Sapsuckers The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is the most far ranging of all the native sapsucker species. The type of woodpecker found in Kentucky? ; These species tend to migrate to lofty areas. First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766, it is monotypic across its sizable range, although it does sometimes hybridize with red-breasted and red-naped sapsuckers. Bird names don't always seem to make sense, and the red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a prime example. Found in pine and hardwood forests, as well as in parks, yards, and gardens. The American yellow-bellied sapsucker can attack, kill trees, and seriously degrade wood quality. > Types of Woodpeckers Identify Woodpecker Types In Your Backyard Woodpeckers , named because of just that - they peck wood, can be identified by stout sharply-pointed beaks, stiff tail feathers, and short legs that are equipped with four sharp clawed toes (two toes face forward and two backwards). In the South, this is the work of the yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), a type of woodpecker. The yellow-bellied sapsucker is the odd bird out when it comes to North Carolina woodpeckers. There are four sapsucker species in North America, but the yellow-bellied sapsucker is black and white with a red cap and throat patch in males (Figure 1), but not females. Two woodpeckers that are showing up in the southeastern portions of Canada although it lives in the eastern states; the Red-headed Woodpecker and the Red-bellied Woodpecker. Six species commonly nest in Massachusetts: the Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Red-bellied Woodpecker. The picture provides a good comparison of the Downy and Hairy and highlights the fact they Hairy Woodpeckers have a larger bill. Hairy woodpeckers are also present in Kentucky, however they are not very abundant. The genus name Sphyrapicus is a combination of the Greek words sphura, meaning "hammer" and pikos, meaning "woodpecker". Red-Bellied Woodpecker. Six types of woodpeckers regularly seen in area ... but a few others can be found as well. Of these 390 species, 100 are classed as accidental and six were introduced to North America. On a walk through the forest you might spot rows of shallow holes in tree bark. The Red naped Sapsucker is related to the family of Sphyrapicus nuchalis. Often, sapsuckers hold their crown feathers up to form a peak at the back of the head. This list of birds of Kentucky includes species documented in the U.S. state of Kentucky by the Kentucky Bird Records Committee (KBRC) of the Kentucky Ornithological Society through December 2017. Three additional species have been accepted by the KBRC but not yet added to the published list. The yellow-bellied sapsucker in Virginia is common, but because it is so quiet and secretive it is often not noticed. The length of these birds is 19 – 23 cm (7.5 – 9.1 in). Hairy Woodpeckers are larger than Downy’s (about the size of a robin),have a much longer, more robust bill, and lack black dots on the outer tail feathers. One of the bird's most obvious traits is the thick red stripe that continues from its beak, over the top of its head, and down its hind neck to where the black-and-white barring of its back begins. Woodpeckers are uniquely adapted to forested habitats. The largest member of the woodpecker family is the Pileated Woodpecker and it is found across Canada and the eastern states. The long wings extend about halfway to the tip of the stiff, pointed tail at rest. The yellow-bellied sapsucker is one of four species in the genus Sphyrapicus. A winter resident, this species is not here in the summer. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) A common, but quiet bluebird-sized (8 1/2") woodpecker that drills horizontal rows of small holes in live trees. It spends summers in Canada and the northeastern United States and migrates to the southern states in the winter. The Red-headed Woodpecker is …