Rings of holes around the old oak tree

My paternal grandfather was quite fond of the word “sapsucker.” I cannot recall a specific instance or person, but his intonation made it clear that the name was not an expression of admiration. A look into the feeding habits of Sphyrapicus varius, the yellow-bellied sapsucker, offers some clues into the origin of my “Pop’s” colloquialism.

 

An online search for “rings of holes around trees,” will nearly always return one name — “sapsucker.” At our former residence on Bounty Street, we had a tree that became absolutely riddled with the telltale lines of holes over several years. I recently passed by the old house, and that tree is gone. I can’t say for sure what became of it but I do have a hunch. And contrary to what many of us think we know about woodpeckers, these uniform lines of holes are not typically found on dead, termite-infested trees. They are generally found on live, healthy ones. After all, their purpose is to produce sap.

 

We now have a female sapsucker ringing an oak limb outside the pantry window at our new house. She also likes bird seed and is quite a messy eater. Her visits to our feeder seem to result mostly in seeds scattered on the ground. That is probably due to the fact that she generally tries to eat while hanging upside down!

 

How much harm yellow-bellied sapsuckers actually cause is debatable. The most comprehensive study I have found is “Sapsucker, Damage Varies With Tree Species and Seasons,” written by Francis Rushmore for the U.S. Forest Service. The study cited was conducted over a five-year period during the 1960s throughout the northeastern U.S. and parts of Canada. To summarize, damage is certainly done and some trees are definitely killed, but most of them will survive. The larger and healthier the tree, the better its chances. 

 

There are online tips for warding off unwanted sapsuckers if a particular tree is of concern. The parallel rings of holes around a limb or trunk are quite visible and can be worrisome. The bark is even coming off between a couple of rings on our oak. One’s options are limited, though, as woodpeckers are protected by law and cannot be harmed.

 

The birds themselves are quite pretty and primarily eat sap and insects. Most will breed in Canada, then migrate south and winter from the eastern U.S. through Mexico and as far south as Panama. 

 

One behavioral quirk is that females seem to enjoy the tropics more than males. While the birds are generally in balance here, it is estimated that by the time they reach southern Central America, females outnumber males three to one. Once the birds return to Canada in the springtime, the male will prepare the nest in a tree hollow. The same site may be used for several years. One clutch of four to six eggs per season will be laid in the nest. Once hatched, in the wild, the yellow-bellied sapsuckers can live for at least seven years.

 

If those telltale rings start appearing on one of your trees, you have a choice to make. You can try some of the suggested techniques found online to move the bird along or you can just accept it and hope for the best. Our current scenario is just a few rings around one limb on a large, apparently healthy, live oak tree. So, despite my obvious concern, here’s to hoping!