![]() ![]() Listen in on this video captured by Lee Pauser on May 27, 2019. To my ear, the nestlings do sound like insects, but perhaps more like cicadas than bees. Click on an image to compare Gilded FlickerMale Gilded FlickerFemale Gila Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Looking for ID Help Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. Now I haven’t been particularly inspired to get close to a swarm of agitated honey bees, so I will have to take Duncan’s word on this. The buzzing chorus has a frequency and energy spectrum that is said to be similar to a swarm of agitated honey bees (Duncan 1990). Sapsuckers are named for their habit of drilling rows of shallow wells in shrubs and trees, and then lapping up the sap with their brush-tipped tongues. Duncan, the nestlings make this buzzing sound when their nest hole is darkened, as when a parent returns to feed them, or if a predator happens to appear in the nest entrance. The Red-breasted Sapsucker cuts a dramatic profile with its brilliant scarlet head and dapper checkerboard pattern on the back. According to a dissertation written in 1990 by S. On walks, don’t be surprised if you scare one up from the ground. ![]() ![]() However, there is one reference in the literature to the “nestling buzzing” vocalizations of this species. Northern Flickers are large, brown woodpeckers with a gentle expression and handsome black-scalloped plumage. Lee wrote to NestWatch observing that the nestlings sounded like a swarm of bees, but he hadn’t seen any documentation confirming this experience. It seems that Lee Pauser had the same question about some Northern Flickers in his California nest box. Meet the Northern Flicker Despite being classified as a woodpecker, don’t be surprised if you startle a northern flicker up from the ground on your next hike These striking auburn birds use their specialized beaks to dig up dirt and a 2-inch long tongue, which wraps around the flicker’s skull when retracted, to extract insects and larvae. These two Northern Flicker nestlings look defenseless, but are they? How can this be adaptive? Northern Flicker Nestlings This year, and not for the first time, I was able to find a nest of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers outside my home simply by looking up to locate the source of an incessantly loud noise. I have often wondered why this behavior occurs, because if I can find the nest so easily, surely a predator can find them much more readily. The young of woodpeckers are notoriously noisy so much so that you can often find a nest full of young just by following the raucous begging calls to a nearby tree. Lee Pauser By Robyn Bailey, NestWatch Project Leader ![]()
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