The reproductive ecology of the Campo Flicker Colaptes campestris campestroides

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ABSTRACT The Campo Flicker Colaptes campestris is a Neotropical woodpecker. Reports indicate breeding behaviour may vary regionally, as the northern subspecies (C. c. campestris) is a facultative cooperative breeder, but this is not reported for the southern C. c. campestroides. Also, this flicker can excavate or reuse cavities but whether cavity type impacts breeding success has not been assessed. The objectives of this study are to: (1) report breeding parameters of a southern flicker population in a natural woodland of central Argentina, (2) discuss differences from northern populations, (3) report cooperative breeding in the austral subspecies and (4) assess whether breeding success (e.g. number of fledglings, predation rates) and cavity features are related to cavity type (new vs. reused). We followed 55 nests (24 and 31 in new and reused cavities, respectively) over three breeding seasons (2015–2016, 2016–2017, 2017–2018). Neither reproductive parameters nor cavity measurements differed between cavity types. Ten breeding pairs (18%) had a third individual (i.e. formed a cooperative group) that collaborated with cavity excavation and incubation. Our results enlighten regional differences between populations of the Campo Flicker. We improve the knowledge on the link between new cavities and breeding success, providing a full description of the Campo Flicker nesting ecology, including the first evidence of cooperative breeding in this subspecies.