. The Canadian field-naturalist. Natural history. 2001 Walters and Miller: Predation on Nesting Woodpeckers 415 3; and Cooper's Hawk {Accipiter cooperii), 1. We also found 17 nests where the young died of unknown causes. Twelve occurrences of nest predation (six Red- naped Sapsucker, four Northern Flicker, two Hairy Woodpecker) were presumed to be by a mustelid, probably the Long-tailed Weasel {Mustela frenata) given that it was the only mustelid observed in the study area. Killed were both adult woodpeckers and large nestlings, all within nesting cavities. In the first case of predation on sa
. The Canadian field-naturalist. Natural history. 2001 Walters and Miller: Predation on Nesting Woodpeckers 415 3; and Cooper's Hawk {Accipiter cooperii), 1. We also found 17 nests where the young died of unknown causes. Twelve occurrences of nest predation (six Red- naped Sapsucker, four Northern Flicker, two Hairy Woodpecker) were presumed to be by a mustelid, probably the Long-tailed Weasel {Mustela frenata) given that it was the only mustelid observed in the study area. Killed were both adult woodpeckers and large nestlings, all within nesting cavities. In the first case of predation on sapsuckers, some hairs (light brown in colour and > 3 cm) were found at the cavity entrance and the eggs were gone. In the second, shell fragments were observed within a sapsucker cavity followed by a dead adult male in the cavity the next day. The third event occurred when a large sapsuck- er nestling was found partly eaten at the base of a nest tree. In the fourth, flesh plus crushed shells were present in the sapsucker nest. The fifth nest was observed late in the day as both parents were feeding the young. Early the following day the male was gone and the chicks were found dead in the cavity. Finally, of three sapsucker nestlings within a few days of fledging, one was found dead in the nest and the others alive at the base of the nest tree. The dead. chick was removed, and the live chicks were returned to their nest. The next day one chick was dead inside the cavity and the other chick was alive at the base of the nest tree. We placed this chick on the trunk of the tree; it fledged successfully. Three adult Northern Flickers were depredated while incu- bating or brooding. Hairy Woodpecker adult males were preyed upon at night when brooding large young. Both nests were in the same tree in succes- sive years. In each case at least one of the young was removed from the cavity. Nine of the twelve nests where suspected mustelid predation occurred were from two areas (< 5 ha)
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