Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-naped Sapsucker has surged: up 11× on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Red-naped Sapsucker
The Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) is a North American member of the Woodpeckers (Picidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 6–19.5 in long (15–50 cm) — a chisel-billed climber (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 370 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 13 states, most concentrated in the Northern Rockies.
- Family
- Picidae · Forest birds
Notable Red-naped Sapsucker Trends
No notable trend signals for Red-naped Sapsucker. See the full index history below.
Red-naped Sapsucker Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Red-naped Sapsucker is projected to rise about 20% by 2029 — from 0.12 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.14 (95% range 0.10–0.19). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±41%, with 40% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.18 |
| 2026 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.18 |
| 2027 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.18 |
| 2028 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.18 |
| 2029 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.19 |
Where the Red-naped Sapsucker Is Detected
BBS routes recording Red-naped Sapsucker, sized by most recent count.
Red-naped Sapsucker Population Trend by State
| Alaska | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Arizona | -41% | 1992 | 11 |
| California | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Colorado | +211% | 1971 | 72 |
| Idaho | +79% | 1972 | 39 |
| Montana | +587% | 1970 | 53 |
| Nevada | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| New Mexico | +45% | 1977 | 14 |
| Oregon | +113% | 1972 | 44 |
| South Dakota | 13× | 1975 | 12 |
| Utah | +177% | 1971 | 37 |
| Washington | +109% | 1970 | 34 |
| Wyoming | +7% | 1976 | 47 |
Red-naped Sapsucker Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -43% | 1975 | 6 |
| Great Basin | +44% | 1972 | 59 |
| Northern Rockies | +202% | 1970 | 148 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +461% | 1970 | 124 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +951% | 1975 | 23 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -49% | 1994 | 9 |
Red-naped Sapsucker Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 1043% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.