On 10 March 2026, a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) showed up at a yard in Hillsboro, species number 179 on the yard list, and has remained a regular visitor.
This individual often visited a bird bath where a bird cam has been installed. Images from the bird cam are shown at the right.
The genus Sphyrapicus is composed of four species. Three of them, including the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker are members of a superspecies. The other two species are the Red-breasted (S. ruber) and the Red-naped Sap-sucker (S. nuchalis). Where the ranges of these species overlap they hybridize freely and the hybrids are often fertile.
The typical species of this area is the Red-naped Sapsucker. When a sighting of a Red-breasted or a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is reported in New Mexico flags are immediately raised and the observation is subject to a certain amount of scrutiny. Although the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker’s range is sometimes shown as extending up the Rio Grande to about Las Cruces. Several sources do not believe that the species’ per-manent range extends into New Mexico. Note however, that there are research grade observations of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker from Las Cruces (see Gordon Berman’s report from October 30, 2024, for instance).
More on this species and on the observation of it in Hillsboro will be published in the July issue of The Black Range Naturalist.
The White-throated Swifts, Aeronautes saxatalis, have shown up in their traditinal spots in the Percha Box, east of Hillsboro, see photo below.
The Harris’s Sparrow, Zonotrichia querula, first seen in Hillsboro in early December continues to be seen daily. Although it has been seen several times in the past decade here, this is the longest period it has remained during any of the pervious years.