Downy woodpeckers incubate their eggs about 12 days. (See April 17 posting.) The female and male take turns, exchanging places every 30 minutes to an hour, all day long. The surprise is that it’s the male that stays in the cavity on the eggs all night. The female roosts elsewhere, arriving at the nest at daylight to take her first turn.
It’s been quiet at the nest site the past several days, just one bird quickly coming and the other going, but the activity level should pick up soon as the parents start feeding their brood.
Is this the first recorded "Mom's night out"?
ReplyDeleteWill you be able to take pics of the little ones when they hatch? I'm guessing not.
hello britecloud. I think, as a general rule, woodpecker males stay on the eggs at night. I know male red-headed, pileated and the famous ivory-billed woodpecker do the night shift. As to why, I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteThe nest cavity is too far away for me to get photos of the young until they start venturing outside of the hole onto the nearby branches.
Enjoy your day!