Snow-covered forests can be pretty quiet while most birds are away in warmer areas of the world. One distinct sound you may notice during the winter months is the drumming of woodpeckers, the sound of which reverberates through the landscape. Woodpeckers drum on objects that provide a loud echo: a hollow tree, a gutter, even trash can or a chimney. But did you know that woodpeckers bring some awesome benefits to forest dwellers and people alike? Learn more about the benefits and behaviours of woodpeckers in this blog post along with some of The Land Between's species of woodpeckers you can expect to see year round!
The benefits offered by woodpeckers
Cavities excavated by woodpeckers provide homes for a range of species known as secondary cavity nesters. This group includes chickadees, squirrels, porcupines, bats, and wood ducks. They need the shelter of tree cavities, but cannot chisel holes for themselves. Researchers have suggested that the Pileated Woodpecker is a keystone species in that ecosystem (Aubrey and Raley, 1999) - meaning that many species and ecosystem properties rely on them. The Pileated Woodpeckers’ ability to chisel through hard wood to create large dens is unparallelled by other animals.
As insectivores, woodpeckers also play an important role in forest health by stopping the spread of pests, especially pests that harm trees. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers help other species by making tree sap available as a food source. Butterflies, bats, many warblers, and porcupines all benefit from the sapsuckers’ well digging. Some First Nations used to watch the woodpeckers as an indicator of when sap would be flowing in maple trees.
Most woodpeckers keep working throughout the winter, providing excitement for birders and naturalists. In February you may start hearing drumming in the forest, as woodpeckers begin establishing their territories. This social cue is used instead of singing a song. You can learn to identify bird species based on the rhythms and patterns of their drumming. The drumming in the spring also coincides with sap running, and can be used as a cue to begin the time-honoured tradition of gathering sap for sugar syrup making.
Note: There are three species of woodpeckers that migrate: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker and Red-headed Woodpecker).
But woodpeckers eat tree insects... Why are they drumming on metal?
It is true that woodpeckers drill into old trees to reach insects and larvae under the bark, but this is not the only time a woodpecker will drum. Woodpeckers drum to attract mates, claim territory, and for general communication. Some species can peck 300 times per minute. They have many cool evolutionary adaptations to protect their head including a thick skull to spread out the shock of the force and stop its beak from retracting. Feathers in their nostrils prevent sawdust from getting in.
To reach food, the woodpecker uses its strong beak to pry open wood, and extends its long tongue into tight spaces. This tongue is sticky, with a barbed end, and in some species the tongue is three times as long as the beak. Woodpeckers have four clawed toes with two pointing forward, and two pointed backwards. This allows them to hold onto tree trunks while they drum and peck. For more information on woodpecker feeding habits and adaptations, check out this cool blog post.
Get to know Ontario’s drummers
The picidae family of birds includes woodpeckers, wrynecks, and piculets. There are 210 woodpecker species worldwide, and nine in Ontario.
A Downy Woodpecker perched on a tree.
Additional Resources
- How to tell the Hairy and Downy Woodpecker apart visually and by their drumming.
- To determine a woodpecker species based on their holes, see this page.
- Listen to Pileated Woodpecker drumming and vocalizations here.
- Check out this YouTube video to learn about why woodpeckers don’t get concussions.
Sources
Aubrey and Raley. 1999. “The Pileated Woodpecker as a Keystone Species”. https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vvarOeIoM7AC&oi=fnd&pg=PA257&dq=ecological+role+woodpecker&ots=P_3tkYpxdo&sig=vESWw82bs_uYR-uaLZQwUxH7xYs#v=onepage&q=ecological%20role%20woodpecker&f=false
Beckinsale, A. 2014. The World Of Woodpeckers – A Few Tips On Identification. Gilligallou Bird Inc. https://gilligalloubird.com/blogs/news/the-world-of-woodpeckers-a-few-tips-on-identification.
Bezener, A. 2000. Birds of Ontario. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton, Canada.
Mikusiński, G. Maciej Gromadzki, M., and Chylarecki, P. 2008. Woodpeckers as Indicators of Forest Bird Diversity. Conservation Biology. https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2001.99236.x
Schneider, D., and Pautler, P. 2011. ON Nature: Ontario’s Woodpeckers. https://onnaturemagazine.com/ontario%E2%80%99s-woodpeckers.html
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