Black woodpecker use of habitats and feeding substrates in a managed Scandinavian forest

To investigate whether the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) is threatened by modern forestry practices, we studied the use of habitats and feeding substrates in a managed boreal forest landscape of southcentral Scandinavia. Clearcutting practices have affected 80% of the 10,000-ha study area. In total, we located 219 radiotagged birds 5,638 times during 1990-94, of which habitat was described at 722 locations of 103 birds. For feeding habitat, birds preferred young plantations (15-30 yr) dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies) and with high canopy closure. For feeding substrates, woodpeckers preferred stumps in young plantations and snags in old forest. Forest >50 years old was preferred for resting and display. The preference for young plantations as feeding habitat corresponded with habitats where the staple food source, wood-living ants (mostly carpenter ants; Camponotus spp.), was most abundant. Year-round home ranges decreased in size with an increasing proportion of young plantations in the landscape. We conclude that in continental Scandinavian forests, where snow depths are moderate (<0.7 m), food resources for the black woodpecker are well secured with present-day forestry practices.