Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Drum Roll

The welcome sound of the “Morse Code woodpecker” is once again reverberating through our woodlands.  Although many woodpeckers drum against hard surfaces with their bills, yellow-bellied sapsucker drums are distinctive — they usually begin with several rapidly repeated strikes in an “introductory roll” followed by a pause, then more strikes in an irregular pattern which some people liken to the Morse Code.  These birds, like most woodpeckers, communicate with each other by drumming on different surfaces – often dead snags, but also metal signs and roof tops.  They communicate over long distances, so the louder the drum, the better.  Males are arriving back on their breeding grounds and establishing territories with the help of this drumming before the females arrive.  Females arrive back about a week later than males, at which point, drumming will assist male sapsuckers in obtaining a mate.  Females also drum, but less frequently, more softly and for shorter periods of time. Photo is of an adult female yellow-bellied sapsucker.

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