Wood density and tree size used as cues to locate and excavate cavities in two Colaptes woodpeckers inhabiting a threatened southern temperate forest of Argentina

JAUREGUI, ADRIÁN; RODRÍGUEZ, SABRINA; GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA, LUCAS N.; GONZALEZ, EXEQUIEL; SEGURA, LUCIANO N.

FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2021 vol. 502 p. 119723 - 119723

0378-1127

Nest-site selection directly impacts bird nesting success, therefore studies on this topic are critical in order to understand what habitat traits species need. Woodpeckers are birds with specific requirements for nesting, where the availability of trees suitable for excavation is particularly important. Furthermore, this is even more important in areas with conservation issues, where optimal nest sites with preferred traits may be scarce. Little information exists on the nest-site selection patterns of woodpeckers breeding in southern temperate forests where tree logging actions considerably reduced forest cover and the availability of mature trees suitable for excavation. We assess nest-site selection patterns (at the breeding territory and nest-tree scales) of the Campo Flicker Colaptes campestris and the Green-barred Woodpecker C. melanochloros breeding in a threatened southern temperate forest of east-central Argentina. Most cavities were excavated in medium (DBH = 20-35 cm) or large (>35cm) size trees with wood density