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Post by Tangaroa on Jan 7, 2016 11:16:38 GMT
Yesterday (06/01/2016) I saw 5 greater spotted woodpeckers together in a tree, something I have never seen before. I just wondered of this was normal behavior or is it unusual? I have searched Google to no avail. Unfortunatley I have no pictures and I was too far away to determine if they were male/female or last years young etc...
Any thoughts??
Cheers
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Post by Tringa on Jan 7, 2016 13:26:30 GMT
Sorry can't help. I have never seen any more than two greater spotted woodpeckers together.
Dave
BTW welcome to WABI
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Post by dogghound on Jan 7, 2016 15:29:09 GMT
Interesting, I suspect that they must have gathered at a food source as they aren't particularly social birds. In winter birds often hold winter territories, but around the edges territories birds can converge by usually only where food is present. No reason to do so other than that.
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Post by faith on Jan 7, 2016 21:12:20 GMT
I have seen three together – two parents and a youngster at my peanut feeders – but that was in the spring, so I'm afraid that's not much help to you!
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Post by ayjay on Jan 8, 2016 0:07:06 GMT
Like faith, I've had a family party (but of 5) feeding together on a peanut and beef dripping mix in summertime, but I've not seen it at this time of year.
Possibly a late brood staying together in maybe less than ideal conditions - are you up in the frozen North?
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Post by Tangaroa on Jan 8, 2016 9:48:12 GMT
Thanks for your responses - I am just outside Moffat in Southern Scotland. Its not been particularly cold but it has been very wet. The tree where I saw the five woodpeckers is just behind a cottage and I wonder if they have put out bird food in their garden! Maybe they are tolerating each other for now as food is particularly scarce at the moment?
The tree is visible from my office window so I kept an eye on it yesterday but I never saw more than one woodpecker in the tree at any one time.
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Post by dogghound on Jan 8, 2016 11:04:29 GMT
Even late broods will have dispersed long ago. The adults tend not to tolerate the young for that long before they drive them away. I think it would be extremely unlikely for this to be a family group. I have noticed them occasionally migrating in small groups i.e. 2s and 3s but is probably a bit late now.
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Post by accipiter on Jan 8, 2016 18:33:02 GMT
It is surprising just how tolerant some species can be when there is an abundant food source even those not exactly known for it such as your woodpeckers, tolerant may not be quite the right word to use in this circumstance but I am sure you take my meaning.
Alan
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Post by rowanberry on Jan 8, 2016 21:30:29 GMT
I've never seen more than three together- two parents with a juvenile. Amazing to see five! And welcome to Wabi, Tangaroa!
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