woodpecker breakfasting in Krumville

[sardog1]

In our neck o' the woods, downies are common, and the pileated are also frequently heard if not seen. We don't see hairies much - are they less common, or am I just mistaking them for big downies?

Cornell has a great Downy/Hairy comparison page. It indicates that the little guys are more suburban in their habits, which might account for your greater frequency of observation.

 

[Puck]

The 8 we've seen here have been at a nearby EEC (Enviromental Education Center) and when we tell the manager he always asks us if we're sure they're not Downy's.

These people infuriate me. I was talking with another hiker on Cabot once and I told him I saw bear tracks in the col on the way up. His response.."maybe they were moose tracks." Some people have made insulting others an art form.

 

[MattC]

I've seen Pileated in 3 places I can recall off the top of my head. Once in the Catskills on the west side of Hunter mountain, in flight. Once at Mills-Norrie SP, also in flight. Once on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, working on a tree. The flight is truly something to see. I've seen the large excavations Grumpy decribes in countless places in the Catskills and elsewhere.

In our neck o' the woods, downies are common, and the pileated are also frequently heard if not seen. We don't see hairies much - are they less common, or am I just mistaking them for big downies?

I see Downies pretty much every day around my house, the rail trail, wherever. I've seen Hairies maybe 3 or 4 times, if that. The Hairy seems much more rare and may be declining, sadly. A close look at the beak size is probably the best way to tell them apart. If you're looking through some good glass, also look for the black (on white) markings along the sides of the tail. Downies have those, Hairies don't.

Matt

 

[halia and flammeus]

The flight is truly something to see.

I see Downies pretty much every day around my house, the rail trail, wherever. I've seen Hairies maybe 3 or 4 times, if that. The Hairy seems much more rare and may be declining, sadly. A close look at the beak size is probably the best way to tell them apart. If you're looking through some good glass, also look for the black (on white) markings along the sides of the tail. Downies have those, Hairies don't.

Matt

Yeah - that sharply undulating flight is like a huge goldfinch! It is awesome. Their size is just so cool

I thought hairies were bigger - tough to discern if you don't have one of each side by side. THanks, Sardog, for the excellent link. Very clear and nicely laid out.

I thought hairies were rare... hoped it was just regional. Are they more common farther north (i.e. like in the daks, farther away from suburban sprawl)?

 

[Paradox]

Many years ago when I was living in Cooperstown, NY I would walk by a large tree that was inhabited by a piliated woodpecker. The ground below was littered with chunks/splinters of wood. Pretty impressive.

 

[Puck]

Here are data from the last ten years for the Christmas Bird counts in New Hampshire for Hairy and Downy woodpeckers. The populations seem to be equivelent and both species have expereinced a slight decline. I edited the data for clairity. I cliped out number of circles reporting, number of observers and number/ hours.

These two birds can cohabitate in the same tree. Downies will be out on the limbs foraging while the Hairies are on the main trunk.



Observation data for Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, in US-NH,
Count Years: 97 - 107


Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)

Count year Number

97 281
98 286
99 256
100 334
101 274
102 306
103 289
104 324
105 313
106 392
107 343



Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)

Count year Number

97 281
98 286
99 256
100 301
101 274
102 306
103 289
104 324
105 313
106 371
107 343

 

[halia and flammeus]

wow - very cool

thank you so much for posting.

 

[DougPaul]

Here are data from the last ten years for the Christmas Bird counts in New Hampshire for Hairy and Downy woodpeckers.

Looks like you posted the same data for both birds.
I presume that it is not what you intended...

Doug

 

[Puck]

Looks like you posted the same data for both birds.
I presume that it is not what you intended...

Doug

Look at count years 100 and 106 they are different. But what are the odds that they would be the same 9 out of 11. (Between you and me I would put more trust in a breeding bird survey)

You can construct your own tables. Just put in the species, define the period and choose the are or state.

http://audubon2.org/cbchist/table.html

 

[DougPaul]

Look at count years 100 and 106 they are different. But what are the odds that they would be the same 9 out of 11. (Between you and me I would put more trust in a breeding bird survey)

Oops--missed the two differences.

But 7 out of 9 being the same, while not impossible, seems highly unlikely and rather suspicious.

Doug

 

[Puck]

Oops--missed the two differences.

But 7 out of 9 being the same, while not impossible, seems highly unlikely and rather suspicious.

Doug

Your not kidding! The strength of the CBC program is not as an acurate census, but it puts alot of observers in the field during a defined period year after year. It gives a trend and can be meaningfull when compiled into a larger dataset.

There are a few such citizen science prgrams in the northeast mountains. Some are better then others. At best eyes and ears are open that can alert the science community to study a trend if it seems to alarming.

 

[MattC]

(Between you and me I would put more trust in a breeding bird survey)

And as it happens, we have just that, at least for New York State. Our state's 2nd Breeding Bird Atlas is just coming out this month. It should be available now or very soon. There is also an exhibit at the NYS Museum in Albany about the atlas and the work that went into the associated census. Info about all this can be found here.

Birders in NY and beyond are especially excited about this atlas due to the fact that it is the second one for NY. Thus, comparisons can be made and trends looked for. I intend to buy the atlas when I get some other financial stuff in order (Unless I get it for X-mas first. One can hope.).

Matt

P.S. In the above quote, I like how Puck stated "between you and me" on an internet post.

 

[forestgnome]

Excellent pics of the piliated!!! I hope to eventually get such a high quality image of one, but they are elusive. I see them often but it's hard to get close and I have a few distant shots.

I think the image on this post is just a small file at 104kb. You can host a larger file elsewhere on the web and link the URL in the post, like so...

Keith, I might take you up on that offer some time.

happy trails

 

[Puck]

I think NH is planning a new Breeding survey soon. VT just copleted one.

Back on topic (somewhat) THese birds go after carpenter ants. I had read in Pike's book "Tall Tree Tough Men" That lumberjacks in the winter would fell atree discover it was full of ants rolled up and dormant. These guys would grab them and eat them. They claimed they tasted like cranberries. I can neither confrim nor deny this.