I know, it's a strange question, but, I saw a bird eating an apple in one of our apple trees this morning and I have never seen one of these before. I have looked in my bird books and I can't find it in there either.

The bird looks like a woodpecker, is about the size of a Stellar Jay (about 12"), clings to a vertical branch like a woodpecker and has a long straight beak.

The head and shoulders are bright red, belly is a light yellow and wings are salt and pepper. The eye looked black.

Any ideas?

Thanks
Ken
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I'll ask my 14 yr old daughter. She knows everything about animals and birds. It's scary.
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Did it look anything like this?:-)
Image
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Try whatbird.com :-)
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Kevin!!!!
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:-)
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Sounds like one of the Sapsuckers, but I'm not sure what you have in your area.
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Ya, sounds like a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker.

Image
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Thank you for your help.

It's not quite as big as the bird that was pictured above.

I believe that I found it on whatbird.com

While I have seen the Red-breasted Sapsucker in my yard before, I have never seen it with such a yellow breast. The pictures look pretty close, only they don't show as much yellow.

It says they do interbreed with Yellow belly Sapsuckers, so maybe I have a high bred.

Thanks again for your help and I will bookmark Whatbird.com.

Have a great Thanksgiving.
Ken
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Looks to me like a Red-breasted Sapsucker
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Close, but much more red on the head and shoulders.
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I guess this one is too big?
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Apples, what apples? I was somewhere else at the time ... :-)
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Ken, did it look like one of these?:-)


















Sorry Bro, I just couldn't help myself!:-)
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Yes it is, but we do have one of those in the area. It sounds like someone hitting a tree with a baseball bat.

Really is a cool looking bird.
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No, but I do see those all the time:-)
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