{i} variety of North American woodpecker that creates holes in trees in order to feed on sap and insects (Zoology)
a type of woodpecker (of the genus Sphyrapicus) that feeds mainly on the sap of trees
Either of two species of North American woodpeckers that drill holes in neat, close rows to obtain sap and insects. The yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), about 8 in. (20 cm) long, is one of the few migratory species of woodpecker, breeding in northern regions and southern mountains and migrating as far as the West Indies and Central America. Both sexes have bold head markings. Williamson's sapsucker (S. thyroideus), which lives in high pine forests of the western U.S., is uncommon throughout its range