Sphyrapicus thyroideus
Silhouette: Nancy Wyman (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Williamson's sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) is a medium-sized woodpecker belonging to the genus Sphyrapicus (sapsuckers). Breeding habitat is open forested areas with conifers, mainly ponderosa pine, douglas-fir, and grand fir. Subalpine fir and western larch may also be important components of good habitat for these birds. Partially migratory, they breed in western North America from northern Mexico as far north as British Columbia. They are permanent residents in some parts of their range; migrating birds form small flocks and may travel as far south as central Mexico.
Adult males are iridescent black on their head, back, sides and tail. They have a white stripe behind the eye and a lower white stripe across each side of the head, a red chin and a bright yellow belly. They have black wings with large white patches. The female is completely different in appearance: mainly black, with a pale yellow breast, a brownish head with black streaking and fine barring on the back, breast and sides. Originally, the female was considered to be a different species and named the black-breasted woodpecker by Cassin.
Measurements: Length: 8.3–9.8 in... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Williamson's Sapsucker sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, based on 83 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 103rd most-seen of the 152 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July to October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Williamson's Sapsucker in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, against under 5% in November to June, the lowest months. Those are among Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 190 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Williamson's Sapsucker sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Williamson's Sapsucker sightings, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Rocky Mountain National Park (United States, about 10%), Yellowstone National Park (United States, about 10%) and Yosemite National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Williamson's Sapsucker is recorded against all the birds logged in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (83 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
