Subject: Re: Pileated Woodpecker in Washington Park Arboretum
Date: Feb 1 09:34:44 1997
From: Kelly Cassidy - kelly at salmo.cqs.washington.edu



I've seen them nest in some quite isolated snags in suburbs. So they
seem to require patches of old growth. Problem is, suitable snags rarely
last long, even in parks, and they have a very short life span around
houses. Liability concerns and worries about them falling on power
lines and houses do them in.

Kelly Cassidy

On Fri, 31 Jan 1997, Kelly McAllister wrote:

> Pretty interesting. Pileated woodpeckers are thought to be facing
> population decline because they require large diameter snags in which they
> excavate cavities for nesting and roosting. They also require significant
> quantities of dead and defective trees in which to find invertebrates to
> eat. However, these apparent life requirements seem to be at odds with
> there persistance in many of Washington's most urbanized areas (like the
> Washington Park Arboretum?). I have often thought that a radio-telemetry
> study of urban Pileated Woodpeckers would be very informative. Are they
> finding the necessary resources by traveling over huge areas? Do they
> require a "core" area of old forest?
> Do they actually "make do" with trees that are smaller than what existing
> studies indicate?
>
> Kelly McAllister
> Olympia Washington
>
>