Why a sapsucker drills holes
Harvesting syrup and trapping insects
Sapsuckers are medium-sized woodpeckers. As their name implies, they feed on the sap that oozes from holes they drill in trees. Insects are also attracted to the sap which acts like flypaper. Sapsuckers return periodically to the tree to "harvest" stuck insects and take them back to their nests to feed their young.
The best example of this behavior in East End Park can be seen on the South Loop Trail. A sapsucker has drilled holes in a birch tree just several feet from the main observation deck on the main boardwalk. Early on spring mornings, if you wait quietly on one of the benches, you will likely see the sapsucker in action.
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Sapsuckers