Scat analysis of the arthropod component of pileated woodpecker diet

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Beckwith, Roy C.; Bull, Evelyn L.

Source:

Murrelet, Pacific Northwest Bird and Mammal Society, Volume 66, Issue 3, p.90-92 (1985)

Call Number:

A85BEC01IDUS

Keywords:

Dryocopus pileatus

Abstract:

Examination of an animal's digestive tract is often used to determine its diet. Destructive sampling, however, is not always compatible with research objectives or laws governing wildlife. This is especially true when studying sparse populations or following the activities of individuals or family groups. The examination of a bird's scat is a nondestructive method of determining its diet. In this paper, we report on the scat contents of Pileated Woodpeckers, Dryocopus pileatus, at different times of the year in the Starkey Experimental Forest, Union County, NE Oregon.