NATURE NOTE – Number 39                    February 28, 2022

During the winter with the leaves off of the trees we get an opportunity to see some critters that become difficult later in the year.  Backyard bird feeders can also be a great aid in seeing…

Our Current Topic:  Woodpeckers

Often heard year-round is the loud, rapid tapping of woodpeckers.  Since their main food is insects, they are constantly in search of assorted insects and larvae under tree bark or deeper in the trunk of the tree.  To get to their food, the woodpeckers need to drill into the location using their unique, heavy beak, and use their long tongue to extract their prey.  Usually they will also drill cavities for nesting sites as well, leaving behind a tell-tale hole in their host tree.  You might also find them drilling into utility poles or the exterior of your house.  Since their main source of insect detection is by sound, they can be confused by slight electrical vibrations. 

The sounds woodpeckers make is rather distinctive, and you can find example of their calls on-line or with a birding app.

While a good bird field guide is important to get detailed descriptions of most all birds, the information below will give some basics to help you identify the common local woodpeckers.  All, with the exception of the sapsucker, are year-round inhabitants of western Virginia.

The giant Pileated woodpecker.  This is the mostly black (with white wing linings) crow-sized bird you might see swopping though the forest.  A large red crest and white facial stripes are distinctive.  This bird will usually get the attention of even non-nature interested scouts when seen.  The nesting cavity is always a large oblong hole rather than a round hole other woodpeckers make.  The loud call is also distinctive, and this bird is more common than you might expect. They are common on the Blue Ridge Scout Reservation.

The two look-a-like woodpeckers are the Downy and the Hairy.  They both have the black and white speckled color pattern on their back, with a white belly and breast.  The males have a small red spot on the back of their head.  The noticeable difference is in the size and the bill.  The Hairy is larger (9“) and has a long, heavy beak about the half the length of its head.  The smaller Downy (6“) has a smaller, less bulky beak.  Both of these species are common at winter bird feeders, especially suet blocks.

The common Red-bellied is also a frequent visitor to suet feeders.  This is a beautiful brownish woodpecker with the wide bright red band on back of the head.  If you get a good front look at a male you will see not-so-obvious red splotch on its belly as well, thus giving it its name. 

The Flicker, another brownish woodpecker with a spotted breast and is often seen in a yard searching for insects. The population of this species seems to have dropped locally in recent years, but still common in suburban areas. 

The Red-headed woodpecker.  This is the easy to identify black and white bird with an all red head.  While their range includes our area I have not seen these in the Roanoke area or at the BRSR. I’d be interested in hearing from someone who knows where you can find them in the BRMC area.

Finally, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  Yes, there is such a bird.  On first look, this bird is similar to the Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, but it has a red throat as well as a red on the back of the head.  You may have seen the results of its feeding on the sap of certain trees (fruit trees are a favorite).  It will drill a horizontal line of small holes in the bark all around the trunk to gain access to the sap of the tree.  This sap aIso attracts insects which the sapsucker will eat.

Opportunities:

As with most birds, as you move about to other parts of the country, there will be different species of woodpeckers to find.  Perhaps the best way to get young scouts interested in birding in general, is to focus on one particular group of birds, such as woodpeckers, and have them concentrate on learning about that group before moving on to another group.  Since woodpeckers are relatively common, and offer a variety of species that can be identified easily, this is a good “starter” group.  Maybe on a hike or camp out, or at summer camp, give the scouts a challenge to find woodpeckers and identify them.  You never know when some small spark will light a lifelong flame of interest in nature.  As scout leaders, we have an obligation to expose our scouts to these little sparks and see if any of it will catch.  Remember what a forest ecologist from Senegal, Baba Dioum, said way back in 1968: 

“For in the end, we will conserve only what we love.

We will love only what we understand.

We will understand only what we are taught.”

Ask yourself:   Who will teach the youth of today?

Thanks for reading NATURE NOTES.  Contact me at:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  with any comments.

Bob Garst