The three-toed woodpecker is a rather rare bird. Its inconspicuous nature, relatively small numbers, and erratic behavior make tracking the population difficult. In addition, the number of these birds in North America is declining, which is most likely due to the fire fighting methods used and logging, after which there are no sick and dying trees, which are the main food source for three-toed woodpeckers.
Appearance
The three-fingered woodpecker has black and white back and sides, black wings, a white breast, black tail with white outer feathers, and a black head with white stripes. There are a lot of streaks, the males have a yellow spot on their heads. Therefore, this inhabitant of the forest also has a second name - the yellow-headed woodpecker. As the name suggests, he has three, not four fingers on each paw.
Where does the woodpecker live
As a rule, these birds live in mature or old coniferous forests, especially in spruce, larch, fir and pine trees. Sometimes they live in mixed forests where aspen or willow grow. They like places with a lot of dead trees, for example, after a fire or flood, and areas infected with pests.
In North America, three-toed woodpeckers climb farther north than any other species. Despite the fact that they usually prefer denser forests, their range and habitat overlap with those of black-backed woodpeckers.
Often quiet and inconspicuous, this bird can sit still for several minutes behind a tree trunk. In some places, the three-toed woodpecker is very effective in combating spruce bark beetle, the main pest of the forest.
Its subspecies live in Northern Europe (from Scandinavia to northwest Asia) and the central and southern parts of the Eurasian continent (from the Alps to Japan).
Behavior
Three-toed woodpeckers are not afraid of people, but they are quiet and invisible, and difficult to see. They often sit on tree trunks, usually one at a time, although fumes can feed together. They tend to search for food higher up the trunk than black-backed woodpeckers, but in the same way they tear off the bark from dead and dying trees, extracting food. Such behavior often reveals their presence on the ground.
Nesting
The same couples can stay together for more than one season. The nesting place is a hollow in a tree, usually dead coniferous, sometimes on an aspen, other living tree or on a support. The hollow, which each bird is cooked in pairs each year, is usually located at a height of one and a half to four and a half meters, sometimes higher. Adult birds are often quite careless near their nest, ignoring possible observers.
The nest is lined with slivers remaining after hollowing the hollow. Three-toed woodpeckers do not add any other litter there. Both male and female usually hatch 4 eggs for 12-14 days. Chicks appear one by one. This process can take four days. Both parents feed the chicks that leave the nest after 22–26 days. The male and female can share the brood, each of them takes half of the chicks and deals with them for another 4-8 weeks. As a rule, a three-toed woodpecker has only one brood during the year.
Diet
Bark beetle larvae, especially spruce, are the most common prey of the American three-toed woodpecker. They also eat other insects, and in small quantities - fruits.
