Yellow-bellied sapsuckers

Every spring, millions of people gather to celebrate one of Canada’s sweetest traditions: maple syrup. But hidden among Quebec’s sugar maples is a small bird that may be telling us something important about the health of these forests: the yellow-bellied sapsucker. In this episode of This Is Wild, host Aliya Jasmine dives into the surprising relationship between sapsuckers, biodiversity and maple syrup. As sapsuckers slowly start to forego the forests they once called home, forest ecologists are learning how the health of Quebec’s environment could be key to its economy, and why a forest with more than just maple trees may actually be healthier—and more productive. Could these colourful little woodpeckers become an early warning system for the future of one of Canada’s most beloved ecosystems?To learn more about WWF-Canada's Maple Initiative and what you can do to help protect Quebec's maple forests, head to wwf.ca/thisiswild. Give to WWF-Canada: wwf.ca/donate Sign up for WWF-Canada’s newsletter, Living Planet News: wwf.ca/signup-for-living-planet-news/ If you have any questions or suggestions for the show, you can email us at thisiswild@wwfcanada.org