Posted by ppeery on November 17th, 2009

Bundoran Farm has many woodpeckers active in winter, as well as the rest of the year.  The loudest voice and territorial drumming belongs to the Pileated Woodpecker.  Like all woodpeckers their flight path is deeply undulating making this large bird unmistakeable in flight.  The drumming of the Pileated is recognizable because it is loud, accelerates then trails off at the end.  The “contact call” is a loud, deep resonate wek or kuk note repeated in a series.  It often makes a flicker-like series of varied notes.  The pileated woodpecker makes square holes in trees, a distinctive “trademark”.  

 

The Northern Flicker is one of my favorite birds in the autumn.   Not only are they striking when viewed up close or through the binoculars because of the black crescent on the breast, red patch on the nape, yellow underwings and black spots on the breast but they are quite vocal.  Flickers are the only brown-backed woodpecker in our area and the only woodpecker to commonly feed on the ground, eating ants.  This time of year they call loudly, repeating their “flicker-flicker” or “wicka-wicka-wicka” notes.  

 

The Red-Bellied woodpecker is common in deciduous forests and suburban areas and is distinguished by its red nape and barred black and white back and outer wings.  The male has a red crown as well as nape.  The red on the belly is difficult to see.  This woodpecker is often vocal, and almost sounds as if he or she is chuckling, with its chuck-chuck-chuck call.  It also has a “churr” note.  This woodpecker is quite beneficial, eating vast numbers of wood-boring beetles, many insect pests, grasshoppers and other foods such as acorns, beechnuts and wild fruits.  It habitually stores food, including the acorns.  Thus along with the blue jay it is an important factor in dispersing acorns, to spread oak trees.  

 

The Downy Woodpecker is our smallest and “tamest” woodpecker.  Like the Hairy (see below) it is white below, with no markings.  It’s bill is distinctively shorter than that of the Hairy.  The male has a small red patch on the nape.  The call is a distinctive “pik” and a descending rattle.  It will frequent a suet rack, and sometimes the feeder with sunflower seeds.  

 

The Hairy Woodpecker is larger than the Downy, but unless you get a good look, may be hard to distinguish.  The Hairy is shyer and frequents forests.  It’s call is a sharper, higher pitched “peek” than the Downy’s voice.  The Hairy is especially beneficial, eating many wood-boring beetles, which it extracts from holes with its sharp beak and long tongue.

 

All woodpeckers have very long tongues.  The Red-Belly’s is three times the length of its bill.  It is a muscular organ that can be contracted back into the head.  In some birds it goes below the base of the jaw and wraps behind and over the top of the head.  The tongue is very sensitive to touch, facilitating it finding larvae and insects as it probes in tunnels.   Woodpeckers do not tunnel in healthy, non-infested wood.

 

To hear the Pileated, go to http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated-Woodpecker/sounds  and scroll down to “sound” then “call”.  To heard the other woodpeckers, enter each name in the space to the left of FIND in the upper right of the page.

Dr. Dorothy Tompkins — Bundoran Farm Steward & Master Naturalist

Filed under: Education and Inspiration, Nature/Environment