Red-breasted sapsucker

You can find these woodpeckers in coniferous and mixed forests in this region.

Their consistent and quiet drumming on trees will give them away, and so do the small holes all in a row. They wait until the sap runs out, then return to feed on sap-trapped insects. Hummingbirds have been known to get a free meal from the sap and insects, too.

During wintertime they are quiet, eat insects and berries. In spring, they excavate a hole just for their nest. During this time, we have heard them drum on our mailbox in order to attract a female. It's similar behavior to what the northern flicker male doe...