Abstract
Three-toed Woodpeckers Picoides tridactylus are known to use phloem sap of conifer trees as a food resource mostly in springtime. A local pair instantly began to forage sap of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris trees that were damaged in a prescribed forest burning; before the fire they had used phloem sap elsewhere in their territory. During three weeks after the fire, the pair intensively used sap of Scots pines which were exposed to fire. The woodpeckers were probably attracted by nutrients induced by damage reaction of the burned pines. Rapid sap use of newly burned trees has not been described before, and it indicates behavioural plasticity how this woodpecker species can use resources in disturbance driven, dynamic forest environments.
Highlights
Three-toed Woodpeckers Picoides tridactylus predominantly feed on arthropods, but especially in springtime they use phloem sap of conifer trees (Ruge 1968, Glutz & Bauer 1980, Cramp 1985, Pechacek 2006)
The Three-toed Woodpeckers used a total of 11 trees to sap feeding during the period of 11 May to 22 June (Table 1)
Before and at the time of the prescribed burning, the local pair was actively using the sap of Norway spruce trees in nearby forest areas, but they searched trees for arthropod food
Summary
Three-toed Woodpeckers Picoides tridactylus predominantly feed on arthropods, but especially in springtime they use phloem sap of conifer trees (Ruge 1968, Glutz & Bauer 1980, Cramp 1985, Pechacek 2006). We report a quick reaction of Three-toed Woodpeckers to move to a burned area and use the sap of the partially burned and damaged Scots pines Pinus sylvestris. We describe this previously undocumented phenomenon and discuss possible mechanisms and reasons for the observed patterns
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