Life histories of North American woodpeckersBent, Arthur Cleveland
Science
Life histories of North American woodpeckers
Bent, Arthur Cleveland
Birds -- North America; Woodpeckers -- North America
_Migration._--Generally speaking, the species is resident wherever
found. Some of the earlier naturalists supposed that it retired in
winter from the more northerly portions of its range; but none affords
any evidence. George Miksch Sutton (1930), when ornithologist for the
Game Commission of Pennsylvania, having reviewed the reports of the
wardens, said that they tended to indicate a gradual movement of the
birds in winter around the eastern end of Lake Erie and southward into
Pennsylvania. Such may be the case. On the other hand, it is true that,
after the nesting season has passed, and throughout fall and winter,
the birds wander and appear in areas where at other seasons they are
unknown; and it may be that Dr. Sutton’s wardens were basing their
reports upon such seasonal reappearances. More precise observations
must be made before it can be asserted with confidence that there is
migration in any sense other than that here recognized.
_Courtship._--It is usual to find the birds associated in pairs, even
after the nesting season has passed; and from this the inference has
been drawn (Morrell, 1901; Knight, 1908) that they continue, year
after year, constantly mated. Lewis O. Shelley, writing from East
Westmoreland, N. H., says (MS.): “It is my belief that the pileated
mates for life, for, seen almost daily, one pair is known to have
shown no active spring display for the past few years, nor was a third
bird (male) seen near.” This inference may be sound; nevertheless, an
element of conjecture here should not be overlooked, and further data
should be sought.
In some cases, certainly, the birds engage in mating antics, and Edmund
W. Arthur (1934) relates an example:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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