Red-headed Woodpecker

Transcription

1 Red-headed Woodpecker Scientific Name Family Name Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) Picidae Did you know? Red-headed woodpeckers are one of the few woodpecker species that cache food (store it hidden from sight). They are known to store seeds, nuts, and insects. Live grasshoppers are wedged into tight crevices so they cannot escape (Cornell 2016). Photo credits: Dave Menke/USFWS Summary Protection Species of Special Concern in New York State, protected federally. This level of state protection means: A native species at risk of becoming Threatened; does not qualify as Endangered or Threatened, but have been determined to require some measure of protection or attention to ensure that the species does not become threatened. NYSDEC may regulate the taking, importation, transportation, or possession of any Species of Special Concern as it deems necessary. This species is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act implements various treaties and conventions between the U. S. and Canada, Japan, Mexico and the former Soviet Union for the protection of migratory birds. Under this Act, NYNHP Conservation Guide - Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

2 taking, killing, or possessing migratory birds, including nests or eggs, is unlawful unless specifically permitted by other regulations. Conservation and Management Threats The reasons for the population decline remain unknown, but there are a number of potential threats. European starlings may be outcompeting red-headed woodpeckers for nest cavities. Loss of agricultural lands may have resulted in the loss of suitable breeding habitat in some areas. There has also been a reduction of mast producing trees with drastic population declines of some species. For example, American chestnut and American elm population have been nearly eliminated by chestnut blight and Dutch elm disease, respectively. Land management practices that include removal of dead trees reduces suitable nest sites. Red-headed woodpeckers sometimes inhabit areas near roads, so car collisions are also possible (Cornell Unviersity 2016). Conservation Strategies and Management Practices Land management practices should allow trees to mature and dead limbs and trees should remain when possible to help preserve potential nest trees. Some open areas are desirable for foraging. Research Needs Reasons for recent population declines remain unclear, but declines appear to be range-wide. Research is needed to determine decline causes that test current theories such as declines in food supply, habitat loss, and competition with other cavity-nesting species. Habitat In New York, red-headed woodpeckers are found in the following habitat types: (1) open areas with scattered trees (e.g., parks, golf courses, roadsides), (2) open swamps and river bottoms with dead, standing trees (Levine 1998, McGowan and Corwin 2008). Associated Ecological Communities Pitch Pine-oak Forest A mixed forest that typically occurs on well-drained, sandy soils of glacial outwash plains or moraines; it also occurs on thin, rocky soils of ridgetops. The dominant trees are pitch pine mixed with one or more of the following oaks: scarlet oak, white oak, red oak, or black oak. Pitch Pine-scrub Oak Barrens A shrub-savanna community that occurs on well-drained, sandy soils that have developed on sand dunes, glacial till, and outwash plains. Silver Maple-ash Swamp A hardwood basin swamp that typically occurs in poorly-drained depressions or along the borders of large lakes, and less frequently in poorly drained soils along rivers. These sites are characterized by uniformly wet conditions with minimal seasonal fluctuations in water NYNHP Conservation Guide - Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 2

3 levels. The dominant trees are usually silver maple and green ash. Other Probable Associated Communities Appalachian oak-hickory forest Floodplain forest Maple-basswood rich mesic forest Orchard Red maple-hardwood swamp Identification Comments Identifying Characteristics Melanerpes erythrocephalus is a medium-sized woodpecker with a rounded head, spike-like bill, and a short tail. Adults have a scarlet red head and neck, white underparts, black back, and large white patches on their wings and rump. The white wing patches makes the bird's lower back appear white when it's perched. Immatures have similar marking as adults. Wing patches are white, but there are rows of black spots near the trailing edge. The head is brown or gray-brown instead of red. The flight pattern is similar to blue jay. Nests are typically placed in dead trees or dead parts of live trees. Females lay 3-10 pure white eggs. Characteristics Most Useful for Identification This is the only North American woodpecker with an entirely red head and neck. Best Life Stage for Identifying This Species Behavior Diet Adults are the easiest to identify. Red-headed woodpeckers forage for food in a similar manner to other woodpeckers: by hammering at wood with their bill. They also catch insects in flight and on the ground (Cornell University 2016). Food is sometimes cached, including live grasshoppers that are wedged into crevices (Cornell University 2016). Their territorial behavior includes aggression toward other birds that includes removing eggs and nests. Red-headed woodpecker diet includes insects (approximately 1/3) and plants (2/3). They eat a variety of insects, such as beetles, cicadas, grasshoppers, midges, and honeybees. Plant food includes nuts, seeds, berries, and corn. Nests of other birds are sometimes raided with eggs or nestlings consumed. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 3

4 The Best Time to See The best time to observe red-headed woodpeckers in New York is during the breeding season from May to August. Present Breeding Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Similar Species The time of year you would expect to find Red-headed Woodpecker in New York. Red-Bellied Woodpecker(Melanerpes carolinus): The red-bellied woodpecker has a longer, more pointed bill, black and white barring on its back, red only on its crown, and a pale, buff face. Pileated Woodpecker(Dryocopus pileatus): The pileated woodpecker is larger with a long tail. It has a distinctive red crest. Underparts are black. Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Animalia Craniata Order Birds (Aves) Family Woodpeckers (Piciformes) Picidae Additional Resources Links NatureServe Explorer ROCEPHALUS Google Images References Ackley, D More notes on red-headed woodpeckers near Oneida. Kingbird 16:214. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 4

5 American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: Andrle, Robert F. and Janet R. Carroll, editors The atlas of breeding birds in New York State. Cornell University Press. 551 pp. Belson,, M. S Red-headed Woodpecker (MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS) use of habitat at Wekiwa Springs State Park, Florida. M.Sc. thesis, Univ. of Cnetral Florida, Orlando. Bent, A.C Life histories of North American woodpeckers, U.S. Nat'l. Mus. Bull Washington, D.C. Bull, John Birds of New York State. Doubleday, Garden City, New York. 655 pp. Carter, M., C. Hunter, D. Pashley, and D. Petit The Watch List. Bird Conservation, Summer 1998:10. Carter, M., G. Fenwick, C. Hunter, D. Pashley, D. Petit, J. Price, and J. Trapp Watchlist 1996: For the future. Field Notes 50(3): Cornell University All about birds [web application] Copyright Available (Accessed: March 25, 2016). Ehrlich, P. R., D. S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye Birds in Jeopardy: the Imperiled and Extinct Birds of the United States and Canada, Including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. 259 pp. Harrison, C A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio. Harrison, H. H A field guide to western birds' nests. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 279 pp. Ingold, D. J Nesting phenology and competition for nest sites among red-headed and red-bellied woodpeckers and European starlings. Auk 106: Ingold, D. J Influence of nest-site competition between European starlings and woodpeckers. Wilson Bull. 106: Ingold, D.J Nest-site fidelity in Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Wilson Bulletin 103(1):118. Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery, and map unit tables. Kilham, L Life history studies of woodpeckers of eastern North America. Nuttall Ornithol. Club Pub. No. 20. vii pp. Levine, E Bull's birds of New York State. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, NY. McGowan, K.J. and K. Corwin, eds The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State: Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. 688 pp. Moskovits, D Winter territorial and foraging behavior of Red-headed Woodpecker in Florida. Wilson Bulletin 90: NatureServe NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA New York State Breeding Bird Atlas Preliminary species distribution maps, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Wildlife Resources Center. Delmar, NY. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 5

6 New York State Breeding Bird Atlas Final breeding bird distribution maps, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Wildlife Resources Center. Delmar, NY. Short, L. L Woodpeckers of the World. Museum of Natural History [Greenville, Delaware], Monograph Series xviii pp. Smith, K.G., JH Withgott, PG Rodewald Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). In the Birds of North America, No. 518 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Terres, J. K The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. Venables, A., and M. W. Collopy Seasonal foraging and habitat requirements of Red-headed Woodpeckers in north-central Florida. Florida Game Fresh Water Fish Comm. Nongame Wildlife Program Final Report Project no. GFC Williams, J. B., and G. O. Batzli Competition among bark-foraging birds in central Illinois: experimental evidence. Condor 81: New York Natural Heritage Program 625 Broadway, 5th Floor, Albany, NY Phone: (518) acris@nynhp.org This project is made possible with funding from: - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program - Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation - New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Information for this guide was last updated on Aug 08, 2017 This guide was authored by Hollie Y. Shaw NYNHP Conservation Guide - Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 6