Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker lost in Iceland

Only two Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers have been seen in Iceland, the first one was found dead.
– In 2007 a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) was spotted in a garden in Selfoss. This was only the second time that this species was seen in Iceland. The bird stayed in the garden from October 7 – 13,  most of the time in the same birch tree.

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Safaspæta – Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker – Sphyrapicus varius

The Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker is a breeding bird in North America and has only been seen in the  Western Palearctic five times and in Iceland only two times. The first bird was found dead in the South East of the country in 1961.
– It goes without saying that a lot of birders visited Selfoss to see this very rare vagrant.

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