FIRES ARE NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING

Saab, V. A. Dudley, J. Thompson W. L. 2004. Factors influencing occupancy of nest cavities in recently burned forests. The Condor 106: 20-36.
http://www.rmrs.nau.edu/publications/rmrs_2004_saab001/rmrs_2004_saab001.pdf

ECAS Lewis's Woodpecker Project
http://www.ecbcbirds.org/Projects/LewissWoodpeckerProject/tabid/67/Default.aspx

COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report
http://www.avibirds.com/saps/NA/Canada/EN/Lewiss%20Woodpecker2010.pdf

Lewis's Woodpeckers (Melanerpes lewis) can only be found in western North America (COSEWIC 2010). These birds breed where there are Ponderosa Pine, and follow the distribution of this tree. These birds have been determined as threatened according to the COSEWIC 2010 assessment. This is due to the ongoing decline of their habitats. Humans have been removing nest trees for safety reasons (tree planters and forestry workers), fire wood and aesthetic reasons (COSEWIC 2010).The European Starling may also pose a threat to the Lewis's Woodpecker due to competition for nest sites. Lewis's Woodpeckers prefer open habitats with scattered trees, or trees just along an open area, grasslands and riparian forests. They have also been shown to inhabit forests that have been recently burned.

In this paper by Saab et al., twelve species of cavity nesters were studied to determine the factors that influence occupancy and reuse of nest cavities in two areas that had been burned (Saab et al., 2004). I will be focusing on the results found for the Lewis's Woodpecker. The study determined that the Lewis's Woodpecker is a weak excavator and will usually steal nest cavities of other species or enlarge previously used nest cavities. Unlike the Black-backed Woodpeckers, the Lewis's Woodpeckers will occupy areas that have been recently burned (2-4 years; Saab and Vierling 2001), and burns that are older (10-25 years; Bock 1970).

The Lewis's Woodpecker is an aerial insectivore, which is why it is attracted to burned forests. After a fire, vegetation growth provides lots of food and habitats for insects (Saab et al., 2004). This study was performed from 1994-1999. In the years 1998-1999 only three bird species had successful nests; the Lewis's Woodpecker was one of them. This species of woodpecker tends to occupy the same nest cavity over consecutive breeding seasons. This could be one reason for their success in the later years of the study. The study states that the Lewis's Woodpecker, along with the Northern Flicker, were the most abundant cavity-nesters, and encompassed 73% of all nesting attempts (Saab et al., 2004).

                                                         (Saab et al., 2004)
This is a graph from the paper which shows that weak excavators (Lewis's Woodpecker) reuse the same nest cavity more than any other excavators in the study.

I chose this bird species not only because it is listed as threatened, but because I think we could help make nest cavities for it as a conservation project. I posted a link to the ECAS Lewis's Woodpecker Project website. They make bird boxes for Lewis's Woodpeckers and they have been pretty successful. Check it out!!!

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