Leuconotopicus albolarvatus

VOCALIZATIONS: Calls include a sharp "pee-dink" or "pee-dee-dink" given year-round, but may be less vocal outside breeding season; often calls in flight. Nestlings make "churr" sounds in first week, then begin to sound more cricket-like and can be head outside the nest cavity; after 2 weeks make constant "peep" sounds, and just before fledging transition to more typical "pee-dink" calls (Garrett et al. 1996; Dixon 1998).

Montane coniferous forest, primarily pine and fir (AOU 1983). Important habitat components are an abundance of mature pines of species that produce large cones and abundant large seeds, relatively open canopy of 50-70 percent closure, and numerous snags and stumps for nest cavities (Garrett et al. 1996). Densities may be higher in old-growth stands than managed stands (Mannan and Meslow 1984). Tree species composition varies with region. Usually closely associated with ponderosa pine (PINUS PONDEROSA), although are not found in all regions dominated by ponderosa pine (such as Rocky Mountains and Southwest; Garrett et al. 1996). Sugar pine (P. LAMBERTIANA) and Jeffrey pine (P. JEFFREYI) are also important and will use knobcone pine (P. ATTENUATA), Coulter pine (P. COULTERI), lodgepole pine (P. CONTORTA), white fir (ABIES CONCOLOR), incense cedar (CALOCEDRUS DECURRENS), and Douglas-fir (PSEUDOTSUGA MENZIESII). Reaches its greatest abundance where the forest contains a mix of two or more pine species, and usually absent or uncommon in monospecific ponderosa pine forests or in stands dominated by small-coned or closed-cone conifers such as lodgepole pine or knobcone pine (Garrett et al. 1996).

In British Columbia, requires mature to old-growth stands of ponderosa pine (Cannings 1992). In Oregon and Washington, is positively associated with abundance of large-diameter ponderosa pine (Marshall 1997). In Interior Columbia River Basin, reaches highest densities in mixed-coniferous forests where ponderosa pine is dominant (Dixon 1998). In the Sierra Nevada, California, inhabits mixed conifer forests of ponderosa pine and sugar pine, white fir, red fir (ABIES MAGNIFICA), Douglas-fir, and black oak (QUERCUS KELLOGGII). Also occurs locally on dry east-slope Jeffrey pine forests and high-elevation lodgepole pine and western white pine (P. MONTICOLA) forests; prefers mature and older stands with open canopies, less than 69 percent canopy cover (Milne and Hejl 1989, Garrett et al. 1996).

In central Oregon, inhabits multi-storied old-growth ponderosa pine forests, with canopy cover less than 51 percent; more than 12 square meters per hectare basal area of live trees (more than 53 centimeter dbh); more than 32 meters maximum canopy height, and shrub cover more than 30 percent (Dixon 1995a, cited in Garrett et al. 1996; Dixon 1995b). Home ranges dominated by old-growth ponderosa pine and preferred large-diameter trees, average 73 centimeter dbh in continuous stands and 61 centimeter dbh in fragmented habitats (Dixon 1995b). Roosts usually in ponderosa pine snags (average 61 centimeter dbh and 20 meters tall), but many roosts also in live ponderosa pine or live or dead aspen (POPULUS spp.; Dixon 1995b).

NESTING: Excavates a nest cavity usually in a dead tree trunk or stump, 1-8 meters above ground. Mean nest height 2 meters (Morrison et al. 1983). Nests excavated in larger snags, usually more than 58 centimeter dbh; large diameter snags allow larger cavities to be excavated, which can result in larger clutch sizes and provide better insulation for eggs and young (Spahr et al. 1991). In central and southern Sierra Nevada, most nests are in dead pine or fir, usually broken-topped snags, nest cavities average of 3 meters above ground (Milne and Hejl 1989). In central Oregon, woodpeckers nest in large broken-topped snags with a large number of cavities; usually in large-diameter ponderosa pine snags (average 61 centimeter dbh, range 19-115 centimeters dbh; average 14 meters tall), but also occasionally in ponderosa pine stumps, live or dead quaking aspen (POPULUS TREMULOIDES), or white fir snags (Dixon 1995b).

NON-BREEDING: Usually sedentary, using breeding home range throughout the year. Some late-summer and fall movements to feed on spruce budworm or heavy cone crops. May move downslope in winter, sometimes found in chaparral-dominated habitat, and vagrants occasionally observed in orange groves, tamarisk (TAMARIX spp.) or other tree plantings, but usually in conifers (Garrett et al. 1996). In the western Sierra Nevada, small diameter incense cedar becomes an important foraging tree during winter due to its flaky bark and availability of scale insects (Morrison et al. 1985).

High density is on the order of 5 pairs per 40 hectares (Spahr et al. 1991). Reaches greatest abundance where two or more large-seeded pine species occur (Garrett et al. 1996). In central Oregon, densities based on point counts ranged from 0.00-2.53 birds per 40 hectares (Dixon 1995a, cited in Garrett et al. 1996); densities based on absolute counts of breeding pairs 0.18-0.49 birds per 40 hectares in south-central Oregon, 0.52-1.06 birds per 40 hectares in central Oregon (Garrett et al. 1996). In the Sierra Nevada, California, high densities of 3.0-5.5 territories per 40 hectares recorded on Breeding Bird Censuses in an old-growth mixed conifer forest (Turner et al. 1993); densities ranged from 0.1-5.0 pairs per 40 hectares (average 2.3 pairs) on all Breeding Bird Censuses in the Sierra Nevada between 1948 and 1978 (Raphael and White 1978).

In central Oregon, home ranges varied from 67-163 hectares in continuous old-growth forest (mean 104 hectares) and from 57-445 hectares in fragmented forests (mean 321 hectares; Dixon 1995b, cited in Garrett et al. 1996). In southcentral Oregon, home ranges varied from 172-324 hectares (mean 212 hectares) in predominantly old-growth sites and 171-704 hectares (mean 342 hectares; Dixon 1995a, cited in Garrett et al. 1996).

Nests mainly in May-June. Clutch size is four to five. Incubation by both sexes, lasts about two weeks. Nestlings are altricial, tended by both adults, fledge in about 26 days, usually around early July (Ehrlich et al. 1988).