While tree swallows, waterfowl and eastern phoebes migrate northward in March, the tide of summer migrants will not get underway until mid-April and some of our winter visitors (juncos, white-throated sparrows) will enjoy a few more weeks in the balmy Midwest. But it is the woodpecker group that seems to dominate the March woodlands, drumming and calling as their breeding season gets underway.
Since the trees are still devoid of leaves, it is a good time to observe these carpenters of the bird world as they chisel new cavities or search for burrowing insects. Their territorial displays make them especially conspicuous during the early days of spring and, here in the Heartland, all of our resident and migrant woodpeckers can be found. Northern flickers and red-bellied woodpeckers, known for their hysterical calls, are impossible to ignore while downy woodpeckers, those small residents of suburban woodlots, have paired off and are reliable visitors at the backyard feeder. Hairy woodpeckers (larger cousins of the downies) and pileated woodpeckers are best found in mature forest and open woodlands while the handsome, red-headed woodpeckers favor riparian areas. Finally, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, winter residents and visitors in our region, become more evident as they begin their northward journey, stopping to refuel on the sugary blood of our deciduous trees.
March is, indeed, the season of the woodpecker, a time when these fascinating birds draw the attention of naturalists and homeowners alike. Their noisy enthusiasm brightens our drab woodlands until flowers, greenery and colorful songbirds sweep in with the tide of spring.
