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Studying
Woodpecker Nest Holes Story : Pilai Poonswad Photos : Pilai Poonswad |
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My interest in hornbills prompts me to study woodpeckers, or to be precise, the nest holes of woodpeckers. This is why. I have observed competition for nests between hornbills, and between hornbills and other animals such as flying chipmunks, bees, wasps, or even king cobras. Tree hollows, it seems, are not only crucial in the life cycle of many animals but also becoming hard to find. Woodpeckers enter the picture as an important creator of these much desired holes and can produce them in a very short period compared to other factors like the trees' age, fungi, insects, or a combination of these. |
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I applied for the Thailand Research Fund to study "The Potential of Woodpeckers in Creating Nest Hollows for Hornbills." Four years and countless adventures later, we have the following information. In our 10-square-kilometer research area, deep in the Huay Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, we found 14 species of woodpeckers. Divided by size, they fall into three groups: small (length from tip of beak to tail: < 20 cm., body mass 7-50 gram), medium (length 20-40 cm., body mass 80-235 g.) and large (length > 40 cm., body mass 200-570 g.). All are resident species but use the area with varying degrees of activity throughout the year. The cold season is the liveliest perhaps because food is plentiful after the rains. | |
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There are four types of
hollows, but hornbills, unable to chisel nests for themselves, make the most use of the
type with a shallow floor (near the level of the entrance) and a high ceiling. These
qualities accommodate the large size of the hornbill while facilitating feeding and the
removing of excreta. Without woodpeckers and large living trees in the forest, the
population of hornbills will be greatly affected. Also altered would be the lives of
lorrikeets, parrots, owls, geckos, skinks, squirrels, and many others, all of which have
made the woodpecker's "condominiums" their homes.
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