The Carpenter, Williamson's Sapsucker

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This male Williamson's sapsucker (sphyrapicus thyroideus) poses next to his handiwork on the trunk of a lodgepole pine. These woodpeckers are found throughout western United States, and their range extends north into British Columbia and south into Mexico. The birds enjoy cooler climates, so in warm southern areas they are found at higher elevations than in the north. The Williamson's sapsucker's habitat includes ponderosa pine forests and open coniferous forests in the north. In the warmer climates of the southwest they are found in sub-alpine forests.