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The Hairy Woodpecker: Picoides villosus
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- Author(s) / Creator(s)
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The hairy woodpecker, Picoides villosus, is a small bird native to North America and common in the Camrose region. Consuming small arthropods and nesting in the self-excavated cavities of dead trees, the woodpecker has many ecological relationships. The hairy woodpecker competes with other species of birds for nests such as the European starling which can kill hairy woodpecker eggs. However, not all interactions with birds are competitive as the hairy woodpecker has a commensalistic relationship with the strong pileated woodpecker. The hairy woodpecker will use the old foraging holes of the pileated woodpecker – which are larger and deeper – which allows the hairy woodpecker to gain access to more food. Lastly, to find their arthropod prey, the hair woodpecker uses a combination of percussing, chiselling, pecking, and extracting techniques. Overall, through its interactions, even a small bird can have a large ecological impact on the environment.
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- Date created
- 2024-04-22
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- Type of Item
- Conference/Workshop Poster