Hairy Woodpecker Research Articles

Reproductive success of cavity-nesting birds in partially harvested woodlots

Cavity-nesting birds are dependent on large declining and dead trees that are frequently removed during partial harvesting. We compared breeding densities, nest survival, nest site characteristics, food abundance, and reproductive parameters of six species of cavity-nesting birds in partially harvested and reference woodlots in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Silvicultural practices significantly altered woodlot structure, with treatment-specific effects on bark arthropod biomass, fledging dates for the Red-bellied Woodpecker ( Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758)), and site suitability for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus varius (Linnaeus, 1766)). Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker ( Picoides pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766)), and Hairy Woodpecker ( Picoides villosus (Linnaeus, 1766)) experienced lower breeding densities in recently cut sites. Daily survival rates were generally greater for nests positioned higher up in large trees and for Northern Flicker ( Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758)) nests excavated in healthy and hard wood. Conversely, the Black-capped Chickadee ( Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766)) had higher daily survival rates in low, small trees (<10 cm diameter at breast height) and sites with lower arthropod abundance. We conclude that although partial harvesting has the potential to decrease cavity-nesting bird breeding densities, conscientious cavity tree retention during harvest may provide suitable nesting sites that maintain high rates of nest success, regardless of the silvicultural treatments that we examined. However, further research is required to monitor these trends beyond a single harvesting rotation.

A Phylogeographic and Population Genetic Analysis of a Widespread, Sedentary North American Bird: the Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides Villosus)

ABSTRACT. The Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) has one of the broadest breeding distributions of any North American bird and is also one of the most morphologically variable with as many as 21 described subspecies. This wide distribution and high degree of phenotypic diversity suggests the presence of underlying genetic structure. We used ND2 sequence from 296 individuals from 89 localities throughout the Hairy Woodpecker distribution to address this question and to explore this species' evolutionary history. Phylogenetic analyses identified three main Hairy Woodpecker clades, each ∼1.5% divergent from one another. One clade was comprised of birds from boreal and eastern zones of North America (NE the second, of birds from western and southwestern North America (S&W), and the third included only birds from a disjunct population in Costa Rica and Panama. Population genetic analyses and climatic niche models indicated that the N&E and S&W clades have very different recent evolutionary histories. Popu...

Unusual Coloration of a Hairy Woodpecker from Oregon

Northwestern Naturalist does not hold copyright on any articles or notes published in the journal. The attached file is the published version of the article. If you wish to consult the rest of the issue visit the publisher's website.

Do aggregated harvests with structural retention conserve the cavity web of old upland forest in the boreal plains?

Boreal species that are dependent on old forests, such as many cavity-using birds and mammals, are at high risk from conventional harvest practices. These species may benefit from ecologically sustainable forest management practices that increase heterogeneity within stands and across landscapes. Structural retention within cutblocks and spatial aggregation of cutblocks into large (1000s ha) harvest units are two such management practices being implemented by forestry companies in the boreal plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan. However, little is known about the implications of these practices for old forest species. The goal of our study was to determine if the cavity-using assemblage associated with old upland forest in this region is retained within aggregated harvests with structural retention. We used a cavity web approach to describe and contrast interactions among cavity excavators (woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches) and the secondary (i.e. non-excavating) species reusing their cavities. We described the cavity web for two intact landscapes of old upland forest and for two aggregated harvest landscapes. We identified four key excavators of intact forest: yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus), northern flicker (Colaptes auratus), and pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). These woodpeckers should be considered key excavators primarily of mature and old aspen forest, which dominated the study landscapes. Each woodpecker filled a unique role in the cavity web and all are important for conservation of two mammal and three bird species that used their cavities. In the short term (i.e. within four years post-harvest), the key cavity excavators and many secondary cavity-using species associated with intact forest were retained in the harvested landscapes. One secondary species (American kestrel (Falco sparverius)) was unique in the harvest cavity web. Compared to the intact cavity web, the harvest web had lower abundance of sapsuckers, greater abundance of flickers, and high reuse of flicker cavities by kestrels. These differences were associated with the shift from intact forest to a landscape characterized by patches of old forest surrounded by early-successional habitat. Abundances of hairy and pileated woodpeckers were too low to detect differences between intact and harvested landscapes. The key excavators primarily used trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) for cavity trees and thus aspen should be targeted for retention in harvested landscapes. A more detailed examination of the habitat requirements of the key excavators is needed to develop best practices for tree and patch retention and ensure conservation of the cavity-using assemblage in aggregated harvests.

Foraging Patterns of Cavity-Nesting Birds in Fire-Suppressed and Prescribe-burned Ponderosa Pine Forests in Montana

Fuel-reduction/forest restoration treatments that consist of thinning followed by prescribed burning are becoming increasingly important land management actions that likely affect various wildlife species. To assess potential effects on bark-gleaning birds, we compared the foraging patterns of five cavity-nesting species in thinned and burned ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest sites and control sites. We recorded foraging behavior, location on forage tree, and tree characteristics that may be important in the selection of foraging substrates. Foraging surveys were conducted on three replicate 20-ha thinned/burned plots located within larger treatments that ranged from 60 - 250 ha, paired with three replicate control plots. Red-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta canadensis) foraged more often in control sites. Mountain Chickadees (Poecile gambeli) foraged at similar rates on both treatment types. Black-backed Woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus), Hairy Woodpeckers (P. villosus) and White-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) foraged almost exclusively in thinned/burned sites. Overall, all species selectively foraged on larger diameter trees. In control sites, Red-breasted Nuthatches selected larger ponderosa pine trees and Mountain Chickadees selected larger, live trees. In thinned/burned sites, Red-breasted Nuthatches selected larger, live trees, Mountain Chickadees selected larger trees with more canopy connections, Black-backed Woodpeckers selected trees with beetle evidence present and Hairy Woodpeckers selected recently dead trees. These results suggest fuel reduction/forest restoration treatments in dry ponderosa pine forests may be compatible with providing foraging substrates for cavity-nesting species often present in post-fire habitats.

Woodpeckers increase in abundance but maintain fecundity in response to an outbreak of mountain pine bark beetles

Many temperate woodpecker species are thought to be highly conservative in their fecundity with little response to fluctuations in availability of resources. In a 15-year field study in interior British Columbia, we evaluated responses in abundance and fecundity of six species of resident and migrant woodpeckers (downy woodpecker [ Picoides pubescens], hairy woodpecker [ Picoides villosus], American three-toed woodpecker [ Picoides dorsalis], pileated woodpecker [ Drycopus pileatus], northern flicker [ Colaptes auratus], and red-naped sapsucker [ Sphyrapicus nuchalis]) to a large-scale outbreak of mountain pine bark beetles that resulted in a strong positive pulse in food supply. Population densities of woodpecker species increased during outbreak years. Despite the year-round multi-annual increase in food resources, and in contrast to the strong increases in fecundity shown by nuthatches and chickadees, annual fecundity (as indicated by clutch size and number of nestlings that fledged) did not change for any woodpecker species over the study. Similarly, we found no changes in fecundity in response to selective forest harvesting despite numerical increases for woodpeckers at these sites. Our study confirms that these woodpecker species are conservative in their reproductive investment patterns even during strong multi-annual increases in food. Our findings indicate woodpecker populations are regulated numerically through variable survival and/or greater immigration rates, which can result in higher breeding densities temporarily during resource pulses.

Data Citation and Peer Review

A scientific publication is fundamentally an argument consisting of a set of ideas and expectations supported by observations and calculations that serve as evidence of its veracity. An argument without evidence is only a set of assertions. Consider the difference between the statement “The hairy woodpecker population is declining in the northwest region of the United States” and the statement “Hairy woodpecker populations in the northwest region of the United States have declined by 11% between 1992 and 2003, according to data from the Institute for Bird Populations (http://www.birdpop.org/).” Both or neither of these statements could be true, but only the second one can be verified. Scientific papers do, of course, present specific data points as evidence for their arguments, but how well do papers guide readers to the body of those data, where the the data's integrity can be further examined? In practice, a chasm may lie across the path of a reviewer seeking the source data of a scientific argument.

Short-term effects of group-selection harvesting on breeding birds in a northern hardwood forest

We used a before-after, control-impact design (one year pre-harvest, two years post-harvest) and unlimited-radius point counts to study the effects of typical group-selection harvesting (0.5 gaps ha −1 placed near seed trees within a standard single-tree selection harvest) and intensive group-selection harvesting (4 gaps ha −1 placed on a grid with no harvesting between gaps) on the composition and abundance of breeding birds in tolerant hardwood forests in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. Percent similarity between pre- and post-harvest bird communities was 5–9% lower in selection harvested stands than in reference stands. Differences in percent similarity among the three treatments were not significant, however, suggesting that the changes in the bird community in stands harvested with group selection were not substantially different than those in reference stands. Abundance of aerial foragers and tree-and-shrub nesters increased in response to typical and intensive group selection in the second year post-harvest. By contrast, bark foragers and cavity-nesters decreased in the first year post-harvest and then increased in the second year post-harvest in response to typical group selection. Abundance of 16 (73%) of 22 species was not affected by harvesting. Blue Jay ( Cyanocitta cristata), Chestnut-sided Warbler ( Dendroica pensylvanica), Least Flycatcher ( Empidonax minimus), and White-throated Sparrow ( Zonotrichia albicollis) increased in response to intensive group selection in the first or second year post-harvest, whereas Chestnut-sided Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker ( Picoides villosus), and White-throated Sparrow increased in response to typical group selection in the first or second year post-harvest. Ovenbird ( Seiurus aurocapilla) decreased slightly in response to typical group selection in the second year post-harvest. Our short-term data suggest that intensive, rather than typical, group-selection harvesting is preferred for maintaining densities of cavity-nesting birds and Ovenbird; whether these advantages continue through the remainder of the cutting cycle and beyond requires further investigation.

Microhabitat Selection of Bark-Foraging Birds in Response to Fire and Fire Surrogate Treatments

Abstract We examined the short-term response of the bark-foraging bird community to mechanical thinning, prescribed fire, and thinning/prescribed fire combination treatments designed to reduce fuel loads at study sites throughout the continental United States as part of the national Fire and Fire Surrogate (FFS) project. We modeled the effects of study site, treatment, treatment category, and time since treatment on the foraging encounter rate of four individual species (red-breasted nuthatch [Sitta canadensis], mountain chickadee [Poecile gambeli], hairy woodpecker [Picoides villosus], and brown creeper [Certhia americana]) and assessed the relative importance of several tree and snag characteristics in the selection of foraging trees by these same species. The foraging encounter rate of all four species responded inconsistently across both treatment categories and study sites. Substrate diameter was the strongest and most consistent characteristic positively influencing the selection of foraging habitat structures for all species across all treatment categories. Other influential variables included the presence of bark beetles for red-breasted nuthatches, hairy woodpeckers, and brown creepers in control and burn-only treatment areas and tree species for brown creepers in burn-only and thin-only treatment areas. Although this study did not detect any major negative treatment response by any species, our results suggest that there is substantial variability in the reaction of this particular bird community to fuel reduction treatments and that managers may need to evaluate the effects of these treatments on a site-by-site and species-by-species basis.

Prescribed Fire Effects on Wintering, Bark‐Foraging Birds in Northern Arizona

ABSTRACT We examined effects of prescribed fire on 3 wintering, bark‐foraging birds, hairy woodpeckers (Picoides villosus), pygmy nuthatches (Sitta pygmaea), and white‐breasted nuthatches (S. carolinensis), in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests of northern Arizona, USA. During winters of 2004–2006, we compared bird density, foraging behavior, and bark beetle activity among burned treatment and unburned control units. Hairy woodpecker density was 5 times greater in burn units, whereas white‐breasted nuthatches and pygmy nuthatches had similar densities between treatments. Compared to available trees, trees used by foraging hairy woodpeckers had 9 times greater odds of having bark beetles in control units and 12 times greater odds in burn units. Tree diameter appeared to be the main factor bark‐foraging birds used in selecting winter foraging trees. Our results suggest that forest managers can use prescribed fire treatments without detrimental effects to wintering nuthatches, while providing additional food to hairy woodpeckers.

Quantifying the multi‐scale response of avifauna to prescribed fire experiments in the southwest United States

Landscape-scale disturbance events, including ecological restoration and fuel reduction activities, can modify habitat and affect relationships between species and their environment. To reduce the risk of uncharacteristic stand-replacing fires in the southwestern United States, land managers are implementing restoration and fuels treatments (e.g., mechanical thinning, prescribed fire) in progressively larger stands of dry, lower elevation ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest. We used a Before-After/Control-Impact experimental design to quantify the multi-scale response of avifauna to large (approximately 250-400 ha) prescribed fire treatments on four sites in Arizona and New Mexico dominated by ponderosa pine. Using distance sampling and an information-theoretic approach, we estimated changes in density for 14 bird species detected before (May-June 2002-2003) and after (May-June 2004-2005) prescribed fire treatments. We observed few site-level differences in pre- and posttreatment density, and no species responded strongly to treatment on all four sites. Point-level spatial models of individual species response to treatment, habitat variables, and fire severity revealed ecological relationships that were more easily interpreted. At this scale, pretreatment forest structure and patch characteristics were important predictors of posttreatment differences in bird species density. Five species (Pygmy Nuthatch [Sitta pygmaea], Western Bluebird [Sialia mexicana], Steller's Jay [Cyanocitta stelleri], American Robin [Turdus migratorius], and Hairy Woodpecker [Picoides villosus]) exhibited a strong treatment response, and two of these species (American Robin and Hairy Woodpecker) could be associated with meaningful fire severity response functions. The avifaunal response patterns that we observed were not always consistent with those reported by more common studies of wildland fire events. Our results suggest that, in the short-term, the distribution and abundance of common members of the breeding bird community in Southwestern ponderosa pine forests appear to be tolerant of low- to moderate-intensity prescribed fire treatments at multiple spatial scales and across multiple geographic locations.

Predation by Bears on Woodpecker Nests: Are Nestling Begging and Habitat Choice Risky Business?

ABSTRACT. We evaluated hypotheses explaining risk of predation by American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) at 418 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) and Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) nests, on the basis of nestling begging and nest-site habitat features in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. Ninety-three percent of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in stands dominated by Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) nested in Sugar Maple or American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) trees that were dead or in declining health, whereas 86% of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in stands dominated by aspen (Populus spp.) nested in Quaking Aspen (P. tremuloides) that were in declining health. Black Bears depredated 17% of 315 nests of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in Sugar Maple stands, which accounts for 71% of all Yellow-bellied Sapsucker nest failures. Only 1 (2%) of 46 Hairy Woodpecker nests in the same Sugar Maple stands was depredated by a bear. None of 51 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker nests in aspen stands was depredated. In Sugar Mapl...

Detection Probabilities of Woodpecker Nests in Mixed Conifer Forests in Oregon

Accurate estimates of Black-backed (Picoides arcticus) and Hairy Woodpecker (P. villosus) nests and nest survival rates in post-fire landscapes provide land managers with information on the relative importance of burned forests to nesting woodpeckers. We conducted multiple-observer surveys in burned and unburned mixed coniferous forests in Oregon to identify important factors influencing detection rates of woodpecker nests. We found 21 Black-backed Woodpecker nests and 38 Hairy Woodpecker nests in burned forest, and three Hairy Woodpecker nests in unburned forest. Competing models of detection probability in Program MARK indicated that nest-detection probability differed by nest stage. We found no evidence to indicate that detection rates of nests were associated with survey timing during the nesting season. Raw nest counts in burned coniferous forests may underestimate nest numbers, especially for nests in early stages of development. Black-backed Woodpecker nests were slightly more detectable than those of Hairy Woodpeckers in burned forests, and observers may differ in their abilities to detect nests.

Influences of postfire salvage logging on forest birds in the Eastern Cascades, Oregon, USA

In coniferous forests of western North American, fire is an important disturbance that influences the structure and composition of floral and faunal communities. The impacts of postfire management, including salvage logging and replanting, on these forests are not well known. We compared densities and relative abundances of forest birds after fire in unsalvaged stands and stands subjected to one of two intensities of salvage logging (moderate, 30 snags retained per ha and heavy, 5–6 snags retained per ha) in mixed-conifer forests in central Oregon. We used analysis of variance with repeated measures to evaluate three hypotheses concerning the influence of different intensities of salvage on densities or relative abundances of sixteen species of birds, and two hypotheses concerning the influence of time since salvage logging on relative abundances or densities of birds. We also examined the relationship between vegetation and abundances of each bird species. We did not detect significant differences among treatments in densities or relative abundances for eight species and one genus of birds. We detected significant differences for seven species, though the patterns differed among species. Relative abundances or densities of the black-backed woodpecker ( Picoides arcticus), hairy woodpecker ( P. villosus), brown creeper ( Certhia americana), western wood-pewee ( Contopus sordidulus) and yellow-rumped warbler ( Dendroica coronata) were lower in the heavy and moderate salvage treatment compared to the unsalvaged treatment, while densities of the dark-eyed junco ( Junco hyemalis) and fox sparrow ( Passerella iliaca) were greater in the moderately and heavily salvaged stands than in the unsalvaged treatment. We detected significant differences between years for four species of birds. Our findings suggest that both cavity-nesting and cup-nesting species respond to salvage logging, and that some species respond uniquely to habitat features influenced by salvage logging. For species that responded negatively to salvage logging, the moderate salvage intensity did not appear to mitigate the negative influence of salvage logging. Areas of unlogged burned forest appear to provide important habitat for some species of birds following forest fires. Our findings parallel those of other recent studies of these species, suggesting robust patterns that transcend particular locations.

POSTFIRE WOODPECKER FORAGING IN SALVAGE-LOGGED AND UNLOGGED FORESTS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA

Abstract In forests, high-severity burn patches—wherein most or all of the trees are killed by fire—often occur within a mosaic of low- and moderate-severity effects. Although there have been several studies of postfire salvage-logging effects on bird species, there have been few studies of effects on bird species associated with high-severity patches in forests that have otherwise burned at lower severities. From 2004 to 2006, we investigated the foraging presence or absence of three woodpecker species, the Black-backed (Picoides arcticus), Hairy (P. villosus), and White-headed (P. albolarvatus) Woodpeckers, within four different forest habitat conditions in Sierra Nevada conifer forests: unburned; moderate-severity and unlogged; high-severity and unlogged; and high-severity and logged. We found Black-backed Woodpecker foraging was restricted to unlogged high-severity patches. Hairy Woodpeckers foraged most in unlogged high-severity patches, and White-headed Woodpeckers showed no significant difference i...

Nest-site selection by cavity-nesting birds in relation to postfire salvage logging

Large wildfire events in coniferous forests of the western United States are often followed by postfire timber harvest. The long-term impacts of postfire timber harvest on fire-associated cavity-nesting bird species are not well documented. We studied nest-site selection by cavity-nesting birds over a 10-year period (1994–2003), representing 1–11 years after fire, on two burns created by mixed severity wildfires in western Idaho, USA. One burn was partially salvaged logged (the Foothills burn), the other was primarily unlogged (the Star Gulch burn). We monitored 1367 nests of six species (Lewis’s Woodpecker Melanerpes lewis, Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus, Black-backed Woodpecker P. arcticus, Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus, Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana, and Mountain Bluebird S. currucoides). Habitat data at nest and non-nest random locations were characterized at fine (field collected) and coarse (remotely sensed) spatial scales. Nest-site selection for most species was consistently associated with higher snag densities and larger snag diameters, whereas wildfire location (Foothills versus Star Gulch) was secondarily important. All woodpecker species used nest sites with larger diameter snags that were surrounded by higher densities of snags than at non-nest locations. Nests of Hairy Woodpecker and Mountain Bluebird were primarily associated with the unlogged wildfire, whereas nests of Lewis’s Woodpecker and Western Bluebird were associated with the partially logged burn in the early years after fire. Nests of wood-probing species (Hairy and Black-backed Woodpeckers) were also located in larger forest patch areas than patches measured at non-nest locations. Our results confirm previous findings that maintaining clumps of large snags in postfire landscapes is necessary for maintaining breeding habitat of cavity-nesting birds. Additionally, appropriately managed salvage logging can create habitat for some species of cavity-nesting birds that prefer more open environments. Our findings can be used by land mangers to develop design criteria for postfire salvage logging that will reserve breeding habitat for cavity-nesting birds.

GENETIC PATTERNS OF DIFFERENTIATION AMONG FIVE LANDBIRD SPECIES FROM THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Abstract The Queen Charlotte Islands (QCI), British Columbia, have many putative endemic avian subspecies. We evaluated four species—Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus), Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus), Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri), and Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator), each with a phenotypically described endemic subspecies from QCI—for uniqueness, conservation concern, and management. The Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens), with no endemic subspecies from QCI, was included for comparison. We hypothesized that the four endemics would have similar phylogeographic patterns of genetic divergence and coalescence between QCI and possible source populations, because they may share a glacial-refugium history. Cytochrome b was sequenced for all species from Alaska, Washington, and QCI. The four species with endemic phenotypes from QCI had significant genetic divergence from nearby conspecific populations, though variation in divergence times indicated varying colonization historie...

PESTICIDE TREATMENTS AFFECT MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE ABUNDANCE AND WOODPECKER FORAGING BEHAVIOR

In British Columbia, Canada, management efforts used to control mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) outbreaks have included treatment of infested trees with an organic arsenic pesticide, monosodium methanearsonate (MSMA). Cumulative pesticide applications over a large geographic area have generated concerns about arsenic loading in the environment and potential toxicity to nontarget wildlife. We investigated woodpecker foraging patterns in infested stands with and without MSMA treatment using a combination of tree debarking indices, point count surveys, and radiotelemetry methods in addition to insect flight traps to measure mountain pine beetle emergence. Debarking indices indicated woodpecker foraging of MSMA-treated trees was significantly lower than nontreated trees in all sampling years. However, approximately 40% of MSMA trees had some evidence of foraging. Focal observations of foraging woodpeckers and point count surveys in MSMA treatment areas further confirmed that several species of woodpeckers regularly used MSMA stands during the breeding season. Radio-tagged Hairy (Picoides villosus) and Three-toed (Picoides dorsalis) Woodpeckers spent on average 13% and 23% (range 0-66%) of their time, respectively, in treated stands, despite the fact that these areas only comprised on average 1-2% of their core home range (1 km2). MSMA strongly reduced the emergence of several bark beetle (Coleoptera, Scolytidae) species including the mountain pine beetle, and there was a highly significant positive relationship between Dendroctonus beetle abundance and Three-toed Woodpecker abundance. This study identifies the potential negative impact that forest management practices using pesticides can have on woodpecker populations that depend on bark beetles and their host trees.

Landscape Use by Hairy Woodpeckers in Managed Forests of Northwestern Washington

ABSTRACT The hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus) is a keystone species in forest ecosystems of Washington, USA, providing nesting and roosting cavities for many species of wildlife. Therefore, management practices that promote healthy populations of this bird will help to conserve cavity‐nesting communities as a whole. The objective of this study was to determine patterns in forest type and landscape use by hairy woodpeckers, and thus, provide landscape‐level recommendations to forest managers. We documented the ranging patterns and habitat use of 23 hairy woodpeckers on the Olympic Peninsula using radiotelemetry and a Geographic Information System analysis. Use patterns of stand age, type, and size, as well as distance‐from‐edge analyses revealed that the hairy woodpecker is a relative generalist in its use of the managed forest landscape. However, certain features, such as older stands with large trees, were used more heavily by nesting pairs. Hairy woodpeckers used 61–80‐year forest stands significantly (P < 0.05) more than expected relative to their availability within the birds' home ranges. We also documented significant underuse of 6–10‐year and 11–20‐year stands, whereas the birds used 41–60‐year stands, >80‐year stands, and clear‐cuts (< 5 yr) equivalent to their availability. We suggest that hairy woodpeckers select older stands with larger, dying trees for foraging, but also use clear‐cuts proportionally due to the residual snags, decaying trees, and remnant dead wood available. Higher use (P < 0.001) by hairy woodpeckers of small forest patches (0–5 ha) and intermediate‐sized stands (5–30 ha) than large patches (>30 ha) may be a result of the older, higher‐quality habitat available in small stands in the managed forest landscape. We recommend that land managers interested in maintaining healthy managed forest ecosystems with a full complement of cavity‐using species in forests of western Washington and northwestern Oregon maintain a landscape mosaic with approximately 45% of the landscape in stands >40 years, and >30% of the landscape in stands >60 years.

Habitat‐Suitability Models for Cavity‐Nesting Birds in a Postfire Landscape

ABSTRACT Models of habitat suitability in postfire landscapes are needed by land managers to make timely decisions regarding postfire timber harvest and other management activities. Many species of cavity‐nesting birds are dependent on postfire landscapes for breeding and other aspects of their life history and are responsive to postfire management activities (e.g., timber harvest). In addition, several cavity nesters are designated as species at risk. We compare the ability of 2 types of models to distinguish between nest and non‐nest locations of 6 cavity‐nesting bird species (Lewis's woodpecker [Melanerpes lewis], black‐backed woodpecker [Picoides arcticus], hairy woodpecker [P. villosus], northern flicker [Colaptes auratus], western bluebird [Sialia mexicana], and mountain bluebird [S. currucoides]) in the early postfire years for a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest in Idaho, USA. The 2 model sets consisted of 1) models based on readily available remotely sensed data and 2) models containing field‐collected data in addition to remotely sensed data (combination models). We evaluated models of nesting habitat by quantifying the model's ability to correctly identify nest and non‐nest locations and by determining the percentage of correctly identified nest locations. Additionally, we developed relative habitat‐suitability maps for nesting habitat of black‐backed and Lewis's woodpeckers from the best models. For all species except Lewis's woodpeckers, model performance improved with the addition of field‐collected data. Models containing remotely sensed data adequately distinguished between nest and non‐nest locations for black‐backed woodpecker and Lewis's woodpecker only, whereas models containing both field‐collected and remotely sensed data were adequate for all 6 species. Improvements in the availability of more accurate remote sensing technology would likely lead to improvements in the ability of the models to predict nesting locations. External validation with data from other wildfires is necessary to confirm the general applicability of our habitat‐suitability models to other forests. Land managers responsible for maintaining habitat for cavity‐nesting birds in postfire landscapes can use these models to identify potential nesting areas for these species and select areas in burned forests where postfire salvage logging is most likely to have minimal impacts on cavity‐nesting bird habitats.