96 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 73 



that is dominated by maple and basswood. Nesting also occurs in mature 

 and second growth aspen-maple forest. Coniferous forests are used to a 

 lesser extent for nesting. Breeding yellow-bellied sapsuckers regularly use 

 extensive stands of Lowland Deciduous Forest in the Western Upland. 



Hairy Woodpecker {Picoides villosus) 

 Status: Regular permanent resident. 



Distribution: Fairly common breeding bird in the Northern Highland and 

 Central Plain, uncommon and local in the Northern Highland. Goddard 

 (1972) reported a breeding density of 3.45 pairs per 40 ha in the Kinnickinnic 

 River Valley, Pierce County. Breeding Bird Survey data (Table 3) suggest 

 that breeding densities are fairly uniform throughout the Valley. 



Winter: Fairly common winter resident in the Western Upland and Central 

 Plain; uncommon in the Northern Upland. The CBC data (Table 4) show the 

 greatest densities occurring along and adjacent to the lower St. Croix River. 

 The largest count was 91 on the Afton CBC, 1 January 1972. 



Habitat: Hairy woodpeckers are not indicative of any one habitat type. 

 Breeding pairs occupy a variety of habitats including Lowland Deciduous 

 Forest, Southern Deciduous Forest, Northern Hardwood Forest, and 

 Lowland Coniferous Forest. 



Downy Woodpecker {Picoides pubescens) 

 Status: Regular permanent resident. 



Distribution: Fairly common in the Western Upland, common in the Central 

 Plain and Northern Highland. Breeding Bird Survey data (Table 3) suggest 

 that the breeding population increases slowly northward across the Valley. 

 Jackson (1942), however, noted that the downy woodpecker was usually less 

 numerous than the hairy woodpecker in northern Wisconsin. Goddard (1972) 

 reported a breeding density of 6.6 pairs per 40 ha in the Kinnickinnic River 

 Valley, Pierce County. 



Winter: Common winter resident in the Western Upland, fairly common in 

 the Central Plain and Northern Highland. The mean ratio of downy to hairy 

 woodpeckers in the Valley during winter is 1.5 to 1.0. Only in the Northern 

 Highland does the hairy woodpecker appear to be more numerous than the 

 downy woodpecker. Young (1961) also noted a greater proportion of hairy 

 woodpeckers to downy woodpeckers in northwestern Wisconsin. Largest 

 winter counts were 143 on the Afton CBC, 1 January 1972 and 123 on the 

 Suburban St. Paul CBC, 2 January 1976. 



Habitat: Habitat use by the downy woodpecker is characterized by both 

 upland and lowland coniferous and deciduous forests. Edge situations are 

 used more extensively by this species than by the hairy woodpecker, espe- 

 cially for feeding. During winter, downy woodpeckers occupy habitat similar 

 to that used for breeding. In agricultural areas, downy woodpeckers also use 

 corn stubble fields regularly for feeding. 



