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 ~20% in a week ~40%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Williamson's Sapsucker sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 284 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 77th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Williamson's Sapsucker in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April and May, the lowest months.
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.
Among the best
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Williamson's Sapsucker sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Rocky Mountain National Park (United States, about 10%) and Yellowstone 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 Yosemite National Park (284 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.
