[Maine-birds] female Hairy woodpeckers displaying, in conflict

Hello all,

on Sunday 12/11, we saw two female Hairy woodpeckers who spent well over 10 minutes following each other around our yard from sugar maple, to black birch, to red oak and other tree trunks. They always got within 2 feet or so of each other and mostly kept their bills upraised so their white throats were facing each other. They waved their bills in the air and their tails were widely splayed.  One would lunge at the other, sometimes going up, sometimes down the trunk. They they would fly to another tree and do it again.

It was quite dramatic!

I wondered if they were in conflict over a potential territory or mate or food source (we have some suet in the yard).

With a little digging I learned that female Hairy woodpeckers start occupying breeding territory in the fall and males meet them there mid-winter. And that this "bill waving" behavior is typical of a Hairy woodpecker in conflict with a member of its own sex. 

I found a wonderful report by Lawrence Kilham. who spent years observing Hairy woodpeckers, including two years of daily observations:

Reproductive Behavior of Hairy Woodpeckers I. Pair Formation and Courtship  in the Wilson Bulletin, September 1966 Vol 78, No. 3

Some direct quotes:

p. 251. the female occupies the breeding territory in the fall and it is the male which comes to her at the onset of the breeding season...

p. 253  Bill-waving. A Hairy Woodpecker in conflict with a member of its own sex may jerk its body about, half-start its wings, and wave its bill like a baton, with head held somewhat backward and tail outspread (Kilham, 1960)...

Any new wisdom to add to this?

Have fun observing and learning from our avian neighbors this winter!

Cathie Murray, Hallowell

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