Ohio State University Extension OHIO’S WOODPECKERS: FLICKERS, SAPSUCKERS, DOWNIES, AND MORE! Marne Titchenell Wildlife Program Specialist School of Environment and Natural Resources What Will We Talk About: – Amazing abilities of woodpeckers – Woodpecker Habitat – The Life of a Woodpecker – Ohio’s Woodpeckers – Attracting Woodpeckers The Woodpeckers: Nature’s Power Tools – Highly specialized group of birds • Nature’s power tools • Carpenters of the bird world • Specialize in cavity excavation • Insect excavators The Woodpecker Family – Picidae • Piculets (2) • Wrynecks ‐ Genus Jynx • Picids ‐ Woodpeckers ‐ Sapsuckers – US woodpeckers are picids • 22 species • 7 in Ohio Diversity of Family Picidae Smallest & Largest ‐ Worldwide Smallest & Largest – United States Bar‐breasted Piculet Downy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Imperial Woodpecker The Ivory‐Billed Woodpecker Story – Largest woodpecker north of Mexico – Was found in mature forests in southeast US – Believed to be extinct since mid‐1900’s – Rediscovered in Arkansas, 2005 – Controversy over rediscover, still no agreement The Woodpeckers: Very Specialized Family – Avoiding brain damage – Specialized beak – Long tongue with modified tip – Protected nostrils and eyes – Short legs and strong toes – Stiff tail feathers – Protective coloring – Large ribs for extra muscle attachment The Woodpecker: World’s Best Shock Absorber Strength and speed of impact: • 100 times per minute • Speeds of 12‐15 mph • Force of 600‐1500 G’s • Decelerating after 1200 G’s = coming to compete stop from 26,000 mph – Human left with concussion after 100 G’s – How do woodpeckers avoid brain damage on a daily basis?? The Woodpecker: World’s Best Shock Absorber – Frontal bone in skull • Helps keep upper bill in place – Cartilage for cushion • Extra between bill and skull to absorb shock ‐ Protractor muscle – Perfect aim • Each blow delivered straight on (perfect right angle) – Tiny padded brain • Brain lacks the mass to develop enough inertia to cause damage • Brain placement in skull and 90 degree angle attack ‐ Shock wave travels below brain A Little Extra Muscle Never Hurts – Wider neck ribs for more muscle attachment • More muscle to absorb shock and constantly drill, peck, hack, and whack! That’s One Weird Looking Tongue! – Tongue bone • Hyoid apparatus ‐ Long slender, flexible bones ‐ Serve as attachment site for muscles ‐ Longer tongue = more muscles = more extension and strength Why are Woodpecker Tongues so Special? – It’s on the tip of the tongue… • Sensitive • Sticky • Hairy • Barbed Specialized Beak – Shape – Length – Size – Self sharpening • Bony inner structure covered with durable, leathery sheath (ramphotheca) ‐ Constantly growing • Like fingernails ‐ Constantly sharpened by everyday abrasion Safety Glasses and Nose Protection – Feathers to protect nostrils and filter air – Eyes tightly fit in skull • Prevents injury during pecking – Blink to protect eye • Also serves as “seat belt” – Well positioned eyes • Will see predators when tree directly in front of them • See quite well and in color Strong Feet and Tail Feathers – Amazing feet • Zygodactyl toes ‐ Two toes forwards ‐ Two toes backward – Tail feathers • 3rd leg of the tripod • Center 2 feathers longest and strongest ‐ Pointed tips, reinforced shaft, strong interlocking barbs ‐ Molted last Protective Clothing – Disruptive Coloration • Helps to conceal from predators • Sharp contrast breaks up and hides shape and outline Meet Ohio’s Woodpeckers! Woodpecker Habitat Needs – Trees a requirement • For nesting and feeding • Larger the woodpecker, larger the tree needed ‐ Pileated woodpecker – Exception to the rule: ‘ • Gila Woodpecker ‐ Resides in southwest deserts and into Mexico Saguaro Cactus Woodpecker Habitat Needs – Food • Insects main food ‐ Eggs, larvae, adults ‐ Ants and beetles • One flicker stomach had over 3,000 ants in it! ‐ Moths and butterflies ‐ Caterpillars ‐ Spiders Woodpecker Habitat Needs – Food Oooo, a • Bird eggs and nestlings plane! ‐ Red‐bellied woodpecker • Fruit (berries) Woodpecker Habitat Needs – Food • Acorns, seeds, nuts ‐ A few species will cache nuts over winter • Red‐headed woodpecker Woodpecker Habitat Needs – Acorn Woodpecker • Drills acorn sized holes into trees ‐ Granary – primary tree for each family ‐ Up to 50,000 holes each with 1 acorn Woodpecker Habitat Needs – Food • Sap ‐ Yellow‐bellied sapsucker ‐ Feed at sapwells • Small holes pecked in neat rows ‐ Sap is about 20‐30% of their diet • Other wildlife benefits • Tree usually heals Woodpecker Habitat Needs – Food • Sap ‐ Yellow‐bellied sapsucker ‐ Feed at sapwells • Small holes pecked in neat rows ‐ Sap is about 20‐30% of their diet • Other wildlife benefits • Tree usually heals Woodpecker Habitat Needs – Migration • Yellow‐bellied sapsucker ‐ Stopover in Ohio to feed and rest – Rest of Ohio woodpeckers remain year round Woodpecker Communication ‐ Calls not songs ‐ Single note repeated over and over ‐ Most woodpeckers have variety of calls ‐ Used for communication ‐ Territoriality ‐ Mating ‐ Alarm ‐ Drumming ‐ Also form of communication ‐ Mainly during breeding season Woodpecker Breeding Season – Starts with males securing territories in early spring • Large the bird = larger the territory ‐ Downy – ½‐1 acre ‐ Pileated – 1‐2 sq. miles – Cavity excavation • Most create their own • Flickers will use existing cavity Are you about done with that cavity? – Tree selection • Decaying tree or live tree ‐ Live trees can work for larger woodpeckers Woodpecker Cavity Excavation – Male begins excavation • Cavity preparation pair bonding • Male does most of the work • Can take 1‐3 weeks ‐ Pileated – 3‐6 weeks – Entrance hole as small as possible • Clue to woodpecker species ‐ Downy – 1 ¼” circle ‐ Pileated – 3½ x 4” oval Woodpecker Reproduction – Color of bird eggs VIP • Camouflage – Woodpeckers lay white eggs • No camouflage needed – Most only one brood a year • Hairy – 6 eggs • Red‐headed – 10 eggs – Both parents incubate, feed, and raise young • Both have brood patches Hatching Time! Ohio’s Woodpeckers Pileated Woodpecker –Largest Ohio woodpecker (and US) –Habitat • Large tract of mature woods • Large trees for roosting • Carpenter ants, wood‐ boring insects and other invertebrates, & mast Pileated Woodpecker – Fairly common across range Northern Flicker Red Shafted ‐ Western – Pic Flamboyant (French) • Large, brown noisy, animated, uniquely patterned woodpecker – Habitat • Woodlands, forest edges, Yellow Shafted – East & North & open fields with scattered trees, as well as city parks and suburbs • Ground‐loving – ant eater, also beetles and other inverts, and mast ‐ Pecks soil for ants Northern Flicker Red Shafted ‐ Western Yellow Shafted – East & North –Widespread and common throughout range Red‐bellied Woodpecker – Despite name, red belly rarely visible – Habitat • Most forests, woodlands, and wooded suburbs of the eastern United States • Insects, spiders, and other arthropods, mast, and sometimes lizards and nestling birds ‐ Barbed tongue with sticky saliva – Populations increasing throughout most of range Red‐headed Woodpecker – Bold patterns earned nickname – “flying checker board” • Males and females identical – Habitat • Woodlands with oak or beech, groves of dead or dying trees, and open areas (burned, harvested) • 1/3 insect and 2/3 mast ‐ Seeds, berries, nuts ‐ Successful aerial hawkers juvenile Red‐headed Woodpecker – Once common throughout range, now uncommon and local in many regions • Nomadic Yellow‐bellied Sapsucker –Ohio’s only migratory woodpecker • April‐May except NE Ohio –Habitat • Young forests and edge habitat, esp. forests regenerating from timber harvesting • Sap is primary food, but also insects (ants and spiders) Yellow‐bellied Sapsucker – Widest range of 4 species of sapsuckers in US • Populations stable, but require young forests Hairy Woodpecker – Larger of 2 look‐alikes of Can I help you with something? Ohio woodpeckers • Hairy – larger, longer bill and body ‐ Bill roughly as long as head ‐ All white outer tail feathers – Habitat • Mature woodlands with medium to large trees ‐ Urban and rural areas • 75% diet is insects • Readily visits suet feeders Hairy Woodpecker Can I help you with something? – One of most widespread of all NA woodpeckers Downy Woodpecker ‐ Smallest woodpecker in Ohio and US • Bill roughly 1/3 size of head • Black spots on white outer tail feathers ‐ Habitat • Open woodlands, particularly deciduous woods and along streams ‐ Rural and urban areas • Diet mainly insects • Readily visits suet feeders Downy Woodpecker – Numerous across range with stable population numbers Attracting Woodpeckers – Trees a requirement • Dead or dying trees ‐ In multiple stages of decay – Size of woodlot • Small – Downie, Hairy, Red‐ bellied • Larger – Pileated – Nest boxes where cavities and snags lacking • Flickers – Feeders • Especially in winter! – Bird baths Nuisance Woodpeckers – Problems: • Damage to building • Usually between June – Feb. – Management Options: ‘ • Woodpeckers are protected by law ‐ Can not physically harm them • Scare tactics • Window decals, reflective materials (CDs, mylar tape), loud noises • Netting ‐ Excludes woodpeckers • Tactile repellents ‐ Birds don’t like sticky feet Woodpecker helping trees, too! – Alphabet soup for dinner! • EAB and ALB ‐ Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorned Beetle Online Resources –Cornell Lab of Ornithology – All About Birds • www.allaboutbirds.org –Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management • www.icwdm.org Questions? –OSU Woodland Stewards • www.woodlandstewards.osu.edu –Marne Titchenell • [email protected] • 614‐292‐0402 .