Dorota Czeszczewik
Ornis Polonica 2010, 51: 241–251
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2010.4.0
Abstract: Foraging sites and foraging behaviour of the White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos females and males were compared within the year in primeval deciduous tree stands of the Białowieża National Park (BNP), NE Poland. The only significant difference was found during winter when females foraged more often on the branches while males used thicker parts of trees (mainly trunks). The strongest niche overlapping of sexes was observed during spring (Schoener’s overlap index OI = 0.87), while the weakest was in winter (OI = 0.78). As a rule females and males foraged separately. Relatively slight differences in foraging behaviour of both sexes could result from weak size dimorphism in this population or from high-quality habitats of BNP or both. Intersexual competition is minimized most likely due to abundant food resources in multispecies tree stands with high amount of dead wood. Habitat quality and possibly climate conditions could influence body size of females and males as well as related foraging behaviour. Differences between females and males of the White-backed Woodpeckers in Białowieża Forest were very small, compared to northern populations. The study showed that this highly specialized woodpecker species could modify its foraging behaviour in response to environmental conditions like food resources and climate.
