Woodpeckers and the Southern Pine Beetle

James C. Kroll - Associate Professor of Forest Wildlife, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Tex.
Richard N. Connor - Research Wildlife Biologist, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Southern Forest Experiment Station, Wildlife Habitat and Silviculture Labratory, Nacogdoches.
Robert R. Fleet - Research Associate in Forest Wildlife, Stephen F. Austin State University.

U.S.D.A. Combined Forest Pest Research and Development Program Agriculture Handbook No. 564

In 1974 the U.S. Department of Agriculture initiated the Combined Forest Pest Research and Development Program, an interagency effort that concentrated on the Douglas-fir tussock moth in the West, on the southern pine beetle in the South, and on the gypsy moth in the Northeast. The work reported in this publication was funded in part by the Program. This handbook is one in a series on the southern pine beetle.

Identification and Habitat Requirements of Woodpeckers

Hairy Woodpeckers

Hairy woodpeckers (Picoides villosus) (Fig. 1) are common in East Texas beetle infestations. These birds have a white breast, a white stripe down the back, completely white outer tail feathers, and white spots on black wings and body. They are roughly the size of robins (8-10 inches long), but have a much longer bill. Males and females look alike, except for a red patch on the back of the male's head. Their calls include a loud "peek" sound and king-fisherlike rattle.

Hairy woodpeckers live and nest in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from pure pine to pure hardwood. They are common along stream banks and in lowland areas principally occupied by hardwoods.

Figure 1. - Hairy (above right) and
downy (below left) woodpeckers.

Hairies prefer stands with total basal areas (BA) of about 85 ft² per acre and stand densities of 150-200 trees per acre. They excavate nest holes in living or dead coniferous or hardwood trees with heartrot. They prefer nest trees and broken snags ranging 30-45 ft in height with at least 12 inches d.b.h. in older stands (70+ years). A pair of hairy woodpeckers requires about 30 acres of territory.

Downy Woodpeckers

Downy woodpeckers (P. pubescens) are about the size of house sparrows (6-7 inches long). Their bills are shorter and slenderer then those of hairy woodpeckers, and horizontal black bars are present on the white outer tail feathers. Like hairy woodpeckers, males of this species have a red patch on the back of the head. Downy woodpeckers make a call that sounds like "pick" and also a whinny call descending in pitch.

This species uses younger trees (45-60 years) for nesting than any other southern woodpecker. Such trees often occur on dry, upland sites, although downy woodpeckers are occasionally found in creek and stream bottoms; however, they seem to prefer stands less dense (140-150 trees per acre) than hairies do. Basal area of preferred stands is roughly 50 ft² per acre. Nests are constructed in trees or broken snags ranging 15-25 ft in height and about 8 inches d.b.h. About 10 acres of territory is needed for each pair of downies. Pileated Woodpeckers The pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) (Fig. 2) is the largest woodpecker in southern forests and is easily identified because of its size (17-20 inches long). It also has a conspicuous red crest and white wing patches. The male's cheeks have red marks not present on the female. These woodpeckers will nest in beetle-killed pines and feed on both SPB and larger insects. Pileated woodpeckers like lowland wet areas but also nest in upland mixed pine-hardwood stands. They prefer old-growth stands (80+ years), and nest tree or snag heights of 40 ft or more in trees exceeding 22 inches d.b.h. Trees used for nest sites are larger than surrounding trees, and are often broken at the top. Basal area of preferred stands is around 130 ft² per acre; stand density is 190 trees or more per acre. Pileated woodpeckers need a great deal of territory, usually about 175-400 acres per pair. Red-Bellied Woodpeckers The red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerper carolinus) (Fig. 3) is about the size of a blue jay (9-10 inches long). They have black and white stripes on their back and the entire top of the male's head is red while the female's head is red only in back. They make a "flicker" sound and a hoarse "churr" or "chive." Red-bellied woodpeckers often feed on insects larger than SPB, and consume more fruits and nuts than the other three woodpecker species
	Figure 2. - Pileated woodpecker.

	Figure 3. - Red-bellied woodpecker.

Densely stocked stands with mastproducing trees are favorite habitats for these woodpeckers. They excavate nest cavities in trees or broken snags ranging 40-60 ft in height and at least 18 inches d.b.h. and prefer older stands than those used by hairy and downy woodpeckers. Both mixed pine-hardwood and bottomland sites provide suitable habitat for these birds. Each pair of red-bellied woodpeckers needs about 20-30 acres of territory.

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