[Mnbird] Winter Woodpecker Activity, Dakota Co

[Miller Johnson]

How much time do woodpeckers spend protecting their territory over the winter?

Yesterday I heard some unusual sounds in the area of this year's Red-bellied Woodpecker nest(s). I hurried off to see what was going on. A male RBWO (#1) was hanging at the nest hole, the same way he spent many hours this summer as he watched over his eggs and kids. North of the nest hole, across a clearing, another male (#2) was churring as it checked out telephone poles. Slightly to the south I could hear another RBWO calling. As it turned out, it was a female (#1) on a power pole near the nest hole tree. Male #1 from the nest hole joined female #2. Male #2 continued to churr from different telephone poles to the north. Eventually, female #1 flew southwest and male #1 moved back to the nest-hole tree, but not to the nest hole. When male #1 moved into the trees surrounding the nest hole tree, I moved forward and around that grouping of trees. That's when I saw female #2 in the same trees around the nest-hole tree. After a while both male #1 and female #2 flew east towards our house (and feeders). Male #2 remained to the north.

I've had a pair of RBWOs nesting here since 2019 (at least). Each year they've had two broods, except for 2020 when the female disappeared, but the male was able to woo another female for a late nesting (actually the same time frame as their second broods). I know the second brood in 2019 had at least 3 fledglings, and the first brood this year seemed to have 3. What I'm saying is the pair has pumped out a lot of red-bellies! At what point do all those kids start to compete with the parents? How much time do woodpeckers spend protecting their territory over the winter?

Along the same lines, I was interested to see the male and female Pileated Woodpeckers associating in the same area as the RBWOs. They called to each other, moved around, then both flew east after "consulting" each other. They continued to associate in the woods south of our house and feeders. I guess I was surprised to see them calling and interacting that much in the winter. I understand that they normally remain together as monogamous pair, but for some reason I had them living more separate lives in the winter. It's okay to tell me welcome to the life of pileateds if I'm the last to find this out!

Thanks.

Molly Miller
Inver Grove Hts,
Dakota Co