In order to conserve populations of woodpeckers in managed forests of the inland Northwest, managers require information about the nest substrates (for example, trees and snags) in which woodpeckers excavate cavities and the habitat characteristics surrounding those substrates. I describe and compare the nest-site characteristics of the White-headed Woodpecker (Picoides albolarvatus), Hairy Woodpecker (Picodes villosus), and Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) in burned and unburned logged Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) stands of the eastern Cascade Range of Washington, 2003 to 2010. All 3 woodpecker species most frequently excavated cavities in well-decayed snags. In burned stands, Northern Flickers used nest substrates that had a larger mean diameter at breast height (dbh) than those used by Hairy Woodpeckers, and that were shorter in height than those used by Hairy and White-headed Woodpeckers. Northern Flickers also excavated cavities lower in height than Hairy Woodpecker cavities. In unburned stands, flickers used nest substrates with larger dbh than those used by Hairy and White-headed Woodpeckers. Despite these differences, overall similarity among the nest sites of the 3 species suggests that they make similar use of managed Ponderosa Pine stands for breeding in Washington.
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1 September 2012
Nest-Site Characteristics of Three Woodpecker Species in Managed Ponderosa Pine Forests of the Eastern Cascade Range
Jeffrey M. Kozma
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Northwestern Naturalist
Vol. 93 • No. 2
Autumn 2012
Vol. 93 • No. 2
Autumn 2012
Colaptes auratus
Hairy Woodpecker
nest-site characteristics
Northern Flicker
Picodes villosus
Picoides albolarvatus
Pinus ponderosa