Illinois Wesleyan University
From the SelectedWorks of Given Harper
Summer August, 1990
Red-Bellied Woodpecker Predation on Nestling House Wrens Given Harper, Illinois Wesleyan University Andrew J. Neill
Available at: https://works.bepress.com/given_harper/3/ The Condor92:789 ? The CooperOrnithological Society 1990
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER PREDATION ON NESTLING HOUSE WRENS1
ANDREWJ. NEILL AND R. GIVENHARPER Ecology Group,Department of BiologicalSciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761
Key words: Red-bellied Woodpecker;Melanerpes and nuts, and there have been only a few reports of carolinus;House Wren;Troglodytes aedon; predation; this species feedingon eggs or nestlingbirds. Brackbill cavity nesting. (1969) reported a Red-bellied Woodpecker stealing House Sparrow(Passer domesticus)eggs. Red-bellied On 10 July 1989 in McLean Illinois, on the Woodpeckerpredation on nestlingpasserines has been County, in Macknawstudy area and Thompson documented the open-nesting American Redstart (Drilling 1988), as well as in the we saw a Red-belliedWoodpecker (Melanerpes caro- (Setophagaruticilla) (Watt 1980) sec- linus) alight at the entrance of a nest box, which ondarycavity-nesting White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta containedseven House Wren(Troglodytes aedon) nest- carolinensis) (Dunn 1984) and Carolina Chickadee In related lings. The woodpecker thrust its head through the (Paruscarolinensis) (Conner 1974). species, 3.2-cm diameter entrance and removed a a Pileated Woodpecker(Dryocopus pileatus) was ob- 6-day-old a nestlingthat weighedabout 8 g. Both adult wrens im- served consuming Red-belliedWoodpecker nestling mediatelymobbed the woodpecker,which flew up into (Loftin 1981), and Nilsson (1984) showed that wood- the forest with the in its bill. We re- peckerswere major predators of tits (Parusspp.), being canopy nestling for in mainedin the vicinity of the nest box for 1 hr following responsible 48% of the predationon their nests the incident but did not again see the woodpecker. boxes. Thus Red-belliedWoodpeckers may prey reg- There were five nestlingsin the nest box on the fol- ularlyon cavity-nestingspecies, such as theHouse Wren, and be for the of nest- lowing day, and four nestlings in the nest box 7 days may responsible disappearance later. Both the nest box, which was 1.5 m from the lings more frequentlythan is generallyrealized. ground,and the greasedelectrical conduit upon which We thank C. F. Thompson, D. Watt, B. Gottfried, it was mounted showed no evidence of mammalian and N. E. Drillingfor makingcomments on this manu- predation.It is unlikely that the parentsremoved the script.These observationswere made while conducting other missing nestlingsbecause adult wrensare unable researchsupported by NSF grantBSR 8615296 to C. to remove from theirnests dead or dying nestlingsthat F. Thompson. are older than 9 days (Belles-Islesand Picman 1986, pers. observ.). Therefore, it is likely that the wood- LITERATURECITED made to the nest and pecker subsequenttrips preyed BELLES-ISLES,J.-C., AND J. PICMAN.1986. HouseWren upon additionalnestlings. behavior. Condor 88:190-193. this was nest-destroying Although our only observation of wood- BENT,A. C. 1964. Life histories of North American on we have circum- pecker predation nestling wrens, woodpeckers.Dover Publications,New York. stantial evidence that such predation may regularly BRACKBILL,H. 1969. Red-belliedWoodpecker taking occur. In 1988 and 1989 nestlingwrens were weighed bird's 40:323-324. when were 9 and 12 eggs. Bird-Banding they days old. Nestlings disap- CONNER,R. N. 1974. Red-bellied from 6.1% of of the nests this Woodpeckerpre- peared (13 214) during dation on nestling CarolinaChickadees. Auk 91: 3-day interval.However, no predationwas seen during 836. 253 hr of nest watches the same performed during DRILLING,N. E., AND C. F. THOMPSON.1988. Natal interval. We also saw adult wrens mob a Red-headed and in House Wrens near a nest box that breedingdispersal (Troglo- Woodpecker(M. erythrocephalus) dytes aedon). Auk 105:480-491. containednestlings. It is unlikelythat woodpeckersare M. L. 1984. Red-bellied to House Wrens from nest DUNN, Woodpeckerpre- attempting usurp boxes, dation on nestlingNuthatches. Chat 48:74-75. because during the past 10 years there has been no LoFTIN,R. W. 1981. PileatedWoodpecker takes Red- evidence of woodpeckersattempting to nest in any of bellied Fl. Field Nat. 9:41. the 910 availablenest boxes. Woodpeckernestling. NILSSON,S. G. 1984. The evolution of nest-site se- Bent (1964) summarizes the Red-bellied Wood- lection birds:the diet as of among hole-nesting importance pecker's primarilyconsisting insects, berries, of nest predationand competition. Ornis Scand. 15:167-175. WATT,D. J. 1980. Red-belliedWoodpecker preda- ' Received 2 January 1990. Final acceptance 29 tion on nestlingAmerican Redstarts. Wilson Bull. March 1990. 92:249.
[789]
This content downloaded from 198.178.132.252 on Wed, 11 Feb 2015 14:18:36 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions