Division of Labour in Parental Care in the Magellanic Woodpecker

Originally posted 8/24/10 - backdated to organize posts by topic.

Argentina 2010-03-28 11.26.42 131, originally uploaded by wizard4all.

Here's a wonderful photo of a male Magellanic Woodpecker near El Chalten, Argentina accompanied by information on a new research article in the Journal of Ornithology. The article is based upon one of the most detailed studies ever of parental care of woodpeckers in the southern hemisphere.  Here are a few highlights:

• The study involved investigating parental care of Magellanic Woodpeckers at 11 nests from dawn to dusk throughout the nesting season

• Only a single young was reared at any nest, even at nests where two hatchlings were produced.

• Feeding rates were similar between parents, but males delivered larger prey to nestlings.

Congratulations to María Laura Chazarreta, Valeria Susana Ojeda and Ana Trejo, the authors of the article.

And many thanks to wizard4all for granting permission to post his super photo here!