Picoides arcticus

The all-black back and barred sides are diagnostic. It can be detected by its call note, a single metallic "kyik" or "chet" (similar to Hairy Woodpecker, PICOIDES VILLOSUS). Also uses a unique agonistic "wet-et-ddd-eee-yaaa," or "scream-rattle-snarl" call in association with a hunched wing-spreading display (Short 1974). Drumming is variable (fast or slow) in long, even rolls (Farrand 1983; Goggans 1989). Drumming described as coming in 2-second bursts that taper off at end, at intervals of 30-40 seconds, suggestive of pileated woodpeckers (DRYOCOPUS PILEATUS); also gives single raps when nervous or about to roost (Kilham 1966). See Short (1974) and Anonymous (1992) for descriptions of calls and drumming.

Associated with boreal and montane coniferous forests, especially in areas with standing dead trees such as burns, bogs, and windfalls; less frequently in mixed forest and rarely in winter in deciduous woodland (AOU 1983). Distribution is closely associated with closed boreal forests and montane coniferous forests. The northern limits appear to coincide with the limit of continuous pine forest (Bock and Bock 1974). Extremely restricted in its use of habitat types and is strongly associated with recently burned forests (Raphael and White 1984, Hutto 1995b). Found in pine (PINUS spp.) including jack pine (P. BANKSIANA), white pine (P. STROBUS), and lodgepole pine (PINUS CONTORTA); spruce (PICEA spp.) such as black spruce (P. MARIANA) and white spruce (P. GLAUCA); fir (ABIES spp.) such as boreal balsam fir (A. BALSAMEA), and red fir (A. MAGNIFICA), Douglas-fir (PSEUDOTSUGA MENZIESII) and tamarack (LARIX spp.; Bock and Bock 1974, Goggans 1989, Villard and Beninger 1993, Villard 1994, Darveau et al. 1995).

In Montana, it is more abundant in lower elevation pine and Douglas-fir forests than in high-elevation subalpine spruce forests (Bock and Bock 1974). In the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States, a region-wide landbird survey and extensive literature review revealed that the species is almost exclusively associated with early successional burned forests, although it is occasionally observed in mixed conifer, lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, and spruce-fir forests (Hutto 1995a, 1995b). Hutto (1995b) found that the number of small trees present in a burn served as the best correlate of species abundance.

May invade burns immediately after a fire, but use of burns appears to be restricted to the first years following a fire, as long as wood-boring insects are present and abundant. In Alberta, a pair nested within two weeks following a severe fire and successfully raised young (Villard and Scheick 1996). In a 1945 burn in the Kootenai National Forest, Montana, a local irruption of more than 20 birds was observed in November, four months after the fire (Blackford 1955). In jack pine-black spruce forest in Minnesota, were absent in a 6.25 hectares study site prior to a burn, but moved in after the area burned in a wildfire, becoming one of the most prominant bird species after the fire (Apfelbaum and Haney 1981). In Teton National Park, Wyoming, were recorded for the first time in the park in 1976 following a 3,500-acre wildfire in 1974 (Kingery 1977).

In a survey of burns across Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in Wyoming, were present from one to three years after severe and moderate fires, but were not recorded on older burns. By two years post-fire, populations of wood-borers declined, and black-backed and three-toed woodpeckers likewise dropped off (Taylor and Barmore 1980). In California, occurred in burned sites six to eight years after fire, but were not recorded during surveys 15-19 years and 21-25 years post-fire, although they were present in very low densities during all periods in unburned control plots (Raphael et al. 1987).

Hutto (1995b) suggests that a mosaic of recently burned forests may represent source habitat, where local reproduction exceeds mortality. The low densities of woodpeckers in unburned forests may be sink populations that are maintained by birds that move into these areas as conditions on post-fire habitats become less suitable over time.

NEST SITE: Nests in a hole excavated in a hard snag, partially dead tree, or live tree with dead heartwood, also occasionally in a stump, fence post, or utility pole. Male does most of the excavation. Nest cavity is usually 0.6-4.6 meters above ground, in trees averaging 21-23 centimeter dbh, in forest opening or in dense stand, often near water. Nests usually in a conifer such as pine, spruce, fir, or Douglas-fir (Scott et al. 1977).

In northwestern Montana western larch (LARIX OCCIDENTALIS)/Douglas-fir forests, nested in areas with a major component of old-growth, and used nest trees ranging from 8 to 12 centimeter dbh, averaging 10 centimeter dbh (N = 2; McClelland et al. 1979). In Idaho, used nest trees averaging 32.3 centimeter dbh (N = 15; Saab and Dudley 1998). In a study in the Sierra Nevada, California, favored partially dead trees and hard snags for nesting; used nest trees more than 41 centimeter dbh and more than 13 meters tall in both burned and unburned forest (Raphael and White 1984). In northeastern and north-central forests, Evans and Conner (1979) estimated optimum range of tree dimensions as 30-46 centimeter dbh and 6-12 meters tall.

FORAGING: In a study in northeastern Oregon, 97 percent of foraging occurred on ridges, the birds preferred to forage in lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine (PINUS PONDEROSA), and fed almost equally on live and dead trees. The species used trees averaging 31 centimeter dbh and 18 meters tall, with more than 40 percent of their needles intact, suggesting that they preferred live or recently dead trees (Bull et al. 1986). In the Sierra Nevada, California, concentrated foraging on live trees, but also used snags and logs, and most often used red fir and Jeffrey pine (PINUS JEFFREYI; Raphael and White 1984).

Intraspecifically territorial. In Oregon, home range size for three individuals was 72, 124, and 328 hectares; small home range size was associated with abundant mature/old growth timber (Goggans et al. 1988). In the Sierra Nevada, California, densities estimated at 0.2 pairs per 40 hectares (Raphael and White 1984). In northeastern and north-central forests, territory size estimated at 30 hectares and maximum density 3.3 pairs per 100 hectares (Evans and Conner 1979). In Idaho, home range of one male in breeding season 72 hectares (Dixon and Saab 2000). In Vermont, home range size reported to be 61 hectares (Lisi 1988).

See Short (1982) for a detailed description of habits, calls, and behavior.

Highly responsive to forest fire and other processes, such as spruce budworm outbreaks, that result in high concentrations of wood-boring insects invading dead trees. Local and regional irruptions and range extensions have been observed in response to burns and wood-borer outbreaks (West and Spiers 1959, Bock and Bock 1974, Kingery 1977, Yunick 1985).

Nests in late spring and early summer. Pair bonding and courtship begin in April, excavates nest in early May (Goggans 1989; NSMNH 1999). Clutch size is two to six (usually four). Incubation, by both sexes, may last 12-14 days. Young are altricial, tended by both parents, fledge in about 25 days (Ehrlich et al. 1988). In Oregon, success rate for 19 nests was 63 percent (Goggans et al. 1989).