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Glite Dictionary
red-breasted sapsucker

red-breasted sapsucker

9.9
A woodpecker with a red breast that makes holes in trees to eat sap
  • noun
  • /ˈrɛdˈbrɛstɪd ˈsæpsʌkər/
  • US
translation icon : pájaro carpintero de pecho rojo
  • The red-breasted sapsucker is often seen in coniferous forests.

Examples

  • The red-breasted sapsucker is known for drilling neat rows of holes in bark to feed on sap.

  • Unlike other woodpeckers, the red-breasted sapsucker prefers coniferous forests along the Pacific coast.

  • We spotted a red-breasted sapsucker pecking at the tree while hiking in Oregon.

  • Yesterday, I spotted a red-breasted sapsucker in the park.

  • The red-breasted sapsucker is known for drilling holes in trees to feed on tree sap.

  • In spring, the red-breasted sapsucker can be seen pecking at the bark for food.

  • Birdwatchers often spot the red-breasted sapsucker nesting in the western forests.

Surface Forms

red-breasted sapsucker singular
red-breasted sapsuckers plural

Morphology

red-breasted + sapsucker

The noun phrase is compositionally built from 'red-breasted' (having a red breast) + 'sapsucker' (a sap‑feeding woodpecker), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a sapsucker with a red breast. This follows regular English adjective + noun composition and is cross‑linguistically predictable, making it immediately comprehensible at B1.

Etymology

Red-breasted sapsucker comes from a simple picture: the bird has a bright red chest, so red-breasted, and it makes neat rows of small holes to 'drink' the tree sap, so sapsucker. That's why the name tells you what the bird looks like and what it does.