Gif Gallery

In 2017 and 2018, I recorded a few hundred hours of Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) videos for my research on parental care behavior as part of my Master’s work with the Bulluck Avian Ecology Lab. Woodpeckers were captured and given special leg bands in unique color combinations so I could tell them apart. Breeding pairs were then recorded at nest cavities from May to August at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, USA. I converted some of the most interesting clips into gifs to share with the public. Feel free to use the gifs below under the CC BY-SA License.

Want to learn more? Check out a summary of the results of my research!

Chick

Older woodpecker chicks often perch at the cavity entrance to watch the world outside.

gif of Red-headed Woodpecker chick peeking out of a nest cavity

Cleaning

Most birds clean nestling waste from the nest or nest cavity when chicks are young.

gif of Red-headed Woodpecker cleaning a nest cavity

Drumming

Often done for territorial purposes.

gif of a drumming Red-headed Woodpecker

Preening

Important for cleanliness and to ensure feathers are in good shape for flying.

gif of a preening Red-headed Woodpecker

Provisioning

Parents must provision, or bring food to, their offspring at the nest cavity.

First gif of Red-headed Woodpecker bringing food to the nest

Second gif of Red-headed Woodpecker bringing food to the nest

Resting

A common behavior also referred to as “nest guarding” when done near the nest.

gif of a resting Red-headed Woodpecker