Interactions Between Nesting Pileated Woodpeckers and Wood Ducks

Conner, Richard N.; Shackelford, Clifford E.; Saenz, Daniel; Schaefer, Richard R.

doi:10.1676/0043-5643(2001)113[0250:ibnpwa]2.0.co;2

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…As the urban world continues to expand, often at the expense of wild habitat, documenting space needs and habitat associations of species breeding in urban environments is an important conservation concern. To that end, we attempted to determine MAR and habitat and landscape requirements of 5 species of woodpecker because of the strong positive influences that woodpeckers have on other forest-dependent animal species (Conner et al 2001, Martin et al 2004, LaMontagne et al 2015, Trzcinski et al 2022). Our prediction of an increase in MAR with body size was supported (with the exception of Northern Flickers), as was our prediction that well treed, but manicured green spaces would support fewer individual woodpeckers than natural green spaces.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, woodpeckers are ecological engineers (Jones et al 1994) because they excavate tree cavities subsequently used by a suite of other organisms for food storage, breeding, and shelter (Martin and Eadie 1999, Drever et al 2008, Russell et al 2009, Cockle et al 2011). In North America, woodpeckers are a vital contributor to forest biodiversity as more than 89 animal species use tree cavities (Conner et al 2001, Martin et al 2004, LaMontagne et al 2015, Trzcinski et al 2022). Moreover, woodpeckers are habitat modifiers that, through their excavation of holes in dead, decaying, and live wood, accelerate decay processes and nutrient cycling, remove bark from trees to expose the underlying substrate for foraging by other bird species (Bull and Jackson 2020), and assist in the inoculation of heart-rot fungi (Duncan 2003, Farris et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Woodpeckers in the city: Abundances are highest in large green spaces with complex understories

Murphy

Baz

2023

Ornithological Applications

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We documented occurrence and relative abundance (henceforth abundance) of five woodpecker species in 36 forested green spaces in Portland, Oregon (USA), to estimate minimum area requirements (MAR; 0.5 probability of occurrence) and to test for potential influences of green space area and type (heavily treed manicured green spaces versus undeveloped natural forests), habitat features, and landscape composition on the abundance of woodpeckers. Abundances of all species increased with green space area. Manicured and natural green spaces did not differ in canopy cover or total basal area, but woodpecker abundances were greater in natural than manicured green spaces for all species except Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus). Flickers and Downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) were most abundant, MAR of both were under 1.5 ha, and both were found in essentially all green spaces. Hairy (P. villosus) and Pileated (Dryocopus pileatus) woodpeckers were least abundant, and with MAR of 34 and 51 ha, respectively, exhibited pronounced area-sensitivity. Red-breasted Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus ruber) were intermediate in abundance and MAR to the 2 former and 2 latter species. The most important habitat variables associated with variation in abundance among green spaces were the contribution of deciduous trees to the canopy (Downy Woodpecker [+], Pileated Woodpecker [+] and Northern Flicker [–]), canopy cover (Hairy Woodpecker [+] and Northern Flicker [+]), and log density (Hairy Woodpecker [+], Red-breasted Sapsucker [–]). At the landscape level, lower woodpecker abundance was associated with increased urbanization (Red-breasted Sapsucker and Northern Flicker), while increasing forest cover influenced abundance of Northern Flicker (–) and Pileated Woodpecker (+). Highest woodpecker abundances were thus found in large green spaces with complex understories that were embedded in relatively undeveloped treed landscapes. Management of forested urban green spaces should prioritize needs of the area-sensitive species because ensuring their continued presence benefits the entire avian community.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Woodpeckers in the city: Abundances are highest in large green spaces with complex understories

Murphy

Baz

2023

Ornithological Applications

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Many woodpeckers are considered keystone species because they excavate tree cavities that are subsequently used by a suite of other organisms for food storage, breeding, and shelter (Martin and Eadie 1999, Russell et al 2009, Cockle et al 2011. In North America, more than 89 species use tree cavities, making them a vital component of forest biodiversity (Conner et al 2001, Martin et al 2004, LaMontagne et al 2015. The availability of excavated cavities depends on populations of primary excavators such as woodpeckers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The availability of cavities depends largely on populations of primary excavators like woodpeckers. In North America more than 89 species use tree cavities, making cavities a vital structural component of forest ecosystems (Conner et al 2001, Martin et al 2004, LaMontagne et al 2015. Loss of woodpeckers would thus have gravely detrimental effects on numerous cavity-associated species Conner 1997, Drever et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Woodpeckers in the City: Habitat Use and Minimum Area Requirements of Woodpeckers in Urban Parks and Natural Areas in Portland, Oregon

Baz¹

2000

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Urbanization has contributed to the fragmentation and alteration of natural habitats around the globe, and is rapidly increasing. In this context, forested parks play a critical role for many species by providing patches of usable habitat within the urban matrix. Such patches may be particularly valuable to forest-specialists like woodpeckers (Picidae). Yet many woodpeckers require large forest patches, which are limited in Abundance of all five woodpecker species increased as a function of forest area and understory vegetation. The amount of tree cover in the landscape surrounding parks was important for the two largest species (Pileated Woodpeckers [Dryocopus pileatus] and Northern Flickers [Colaptes auratus]), although this variable influenced their abundance positively and negatively, respectively. Surprisingly, the degree of urbanization in the surrounding landscape was unrelated to woodpecker abundance for any species except Red-breasted Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus ruber). Four of the five species I studied reached higher levels of abundance in natural areas (i.e. greenspaces with multistory vegetation) than traditional parks (i.e. parks managed for recreation, with cleared understories). I recommend that large, multistory forested parks be created and protected to benefit woodpeckers. Minimum area requirements were generated for each species based on the forest patch size at which their predicted probability of occurrence reached 0.5. This corresponded to an area requirement of 51 ha for Pileated Woodpeckers and 34 ha for Hairy Woodpeckers (Picoides villosus). None of the other three woodpeckers exhibited strong area-sensitivity. These findings provide much needed information on woodpecker ecology in urban landscapes, and may offer direction for park management as rates of urbanization continue to increase. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………… i LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………. iv LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………….

show abstract

“…Bird nests vary greatly in shape and construction (Baicich and Harrison 1997, Collias 1997, Sheldon and Winkler 1999, including cavity nests (Skutch 1976;Eberhard 1998Eberhard , 2002. Among cavity nesters, some bird species nest in clay or sand cavities (e.g., beeeaters, motmots, jacamars, kingfishers) (Skutch 1976), other species nest in cavities excavated in termitaria or wasp nests (e.g., trogons, parrots) (Juniper and Parr 1998, Johnsgard 2000, Brightsmith 2004, and another group nests in natural cavities or cavities constructed by other birds in branches or dead trunks of broken, or fungi-infested trees (e.g., woodpeckers, ducks, swallows, owls) (Rendell and Robertson 1989, Belthoff and Ritchison 1990, Conner et al 2001.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between Species Richness of Excavator Birds and Cavity–adopters in Seven Tropical Forests in Costa Rica

Sandoval¹,

Barrantes²

2009

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The abundance of wood cavities is thought to be a limiting factor for bird species that depend on these cavities for nesting. Thus, it is expected that number of cavity adopters correlates with number of cavity excavators across communities. We used available published data to compare composition and richness of cavity adopters and cavity excavators across seven forest localities in Costa Rica. Species richness and composition of cavity excavator and cavity adopter bird assemblages varied among the seven forests. Species composition of excavators and adopters was more similar between nearby localities and between localities with similar forest types. Richness of wood-cavity adopters (using mostly cavities created by excavators) tended to increase with richness of excavators. The lack of association between cavity adopters and cavity excavators in some localities may be compensated by high abundance of a few species of excavators. The abundance of adopters and their dependence on forested habitats and on cavities excavated by woodpeckers varied largely across localities.

show abstract

Interactions Between Nesting Pileated Woodpeckers and Wood Ducks

Cited by 3 publications

References 8 publications

Woodpeckers in the city: Abundances are highest in large green spaces with complex understories

Woodpeckers in the city: Abundances are highest in large green spaces with complex understories

Woodpeckers in the City: Habitat Use and Minimum Area Requirements of Woodpeckers in Urban Parks and Natural Areas in Portland, Oregon

Relationship between Species Richness of Excavator Birds and Cavity–adopters in Seven Tropical Forests in Costa Rica

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About