But why are these birds attracted to our burned forests? Fires attract various species of wood-boring beetles. These beetles bore into charred trees and this is where their larvae hatch. This is the perfect meal for our Blackbacked Woodpecker. With its chisel-shaped beak and specially adapted skull, this bird is able to make quick work of burnt out trees to gain access to beetle larvae. Researchers have even found that the Blackbacked Woodpecker has the most shock absorbent skull in the genus Picoides (American Bird Conservancy). They do not survive solely off of beetles, and have been found to opportunistically consume berries, seeds and nuts. 

These woodpeckers have unique living characteristics. They are non-migratory, and do not have any classified subspecies. They do tend to move around to areas near new burns, but don’t nest within burned trees. Typically, these birds will nest in dead/dying trees just outside of burn areas, and forage in the burn scar. These cavities provide important habitat for other animals displaced by fire, allowing birds such as Mountain Bluebird and mammals like squirrels to return as secondary occupants. These species aid in seed dispersal, insect remediation and are prey for large predators, helping in the recovery of the forest after the disturbance of fire. In other words, as an early returning species, the Blackbacked Woodpecker helps get the ball rolling for the return of other species! Typically, the bird begins to search for other burned areas approximately five years after a fire, as the forest recovers, beetle populations lower and snags deteriorate. This bird can occur in non-burned areas, but in much lower densities.