AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Selection of Nest and Roost Trees by Pileated Woodpeckers in Coastal Forests of Washington

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2002
Authors:Aubry, KB, Raley, CM
Journal:The Journal of Wildlife Management
Volume:66
Issue:2
Date Published:2002
ISBN Number:0022541X
Keywords:Dryocopus, Dryocopus pileatus, Picidae
Abstract:Providing adequate habitat for the pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is a key component of federal forest management plans in the Pacific Northwest, yet information is extremely limited on characteristics of trees selected by this species for nesting or roosting in coastal forests. We investigated selection by pileated woodpeckers of both individual tree and site characteristics for nesting and roosting in coastal forests, and evaluated the efficacy of current management prescriptions for these woodpeckers on federal lands. From 1990 to 1995, we used call surveys, ground searches, and radiotelemetry to locate 25 nest and 144 roost trees used by 31 adult pileated woodpeckers (16 females, 15 males) in western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) forests located about 20 km east of the Pacific coast in Washington, USA. Nesting pairs typically excavated nest cavities in different trees each year, and individual birds used an average of 7 different roost trees during the nonbreeding season. Pileated woodpeckers used decadent live trees as often as snags for both nesting and roosting. They selected Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis) for nesting and western redcedar (Thuja plicata) for roosting, and selected against western hemlock for both activities. For nesting, pileated woodpeckers used only trees 65-154 cm in diameter at breast height (dbh) but were not selective within this range; for roosting, they selected trees 155-309 cm dbh and selected against trees <125 cm dbh. For both nesting and roosting, pileated woodpeckers selected trees ≥27.5 m tall and selected against trees <17.5 m tall. Decay characteristics of trees used by pileated woodpeckers for nesting differed strongly from those used for roosting. Site characteristics also influenced selection of nest and roost trees by pileated woodpeckers; 0.4-ha plots around nest and roost trees contained a higher diversity of tree species and higher densities of decadent trees ≥20 cm dbh and snags ≥50 cm dbh than availability plots. The Northwest Forest Plan specifies the retention of 1 large, hard snag per 17 ha of harvested forest to provide nest trees for pileated woodpeckers. Our results indicate that providing adequate habitat for pileated woodpeckers in coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest may require a more comprehensive management strategy that also includes provisions for roost trees and that emphasizes retention of both snags and decadent trees, especially those infected with heart-rot decay fungi.
URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/3803172
Short Title:The Journal of Wildlife Management
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