Birds are among the first returning vertebrates to a forests affected by fire. Birds that nest in cavities of trees depend on forest fires to provide their habitat—and different species depend on different effects of forest fires. For example, black-backed (Picoides arcticus), American three-toed (P. dorsalis), and hairy (P. villosus) woodpeckers use trees that burned in low to moderately severe fires, two to four years after the fire. Northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) move into severely burned areas three years after a fire. Standing dead trees left behind after a fire attract bark and wood-boring beetles—primary prey for woodpeckers. Nest cavities created by woodpeckers are later used by chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds and some species of duck.
black-backed (Picoides arcticus), American three-toed (P. dorsalis),|hairy (P. villosus) woodpeckers|Northern flickers (Colaptes auratus)|chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds|species of duck. black-backed (Picoides arcticus), American three-toed (P. dorsalis), and hairy (P. villosus) woodpeckers|Northern flickers|chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds and some species of duck. black-backed (Picoides arcticus), American three-toed (P. dorsalis), and hairy (P. villosus) woodpeckers|Northern flickers|chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds|duck.
black-backed (Picoides arcticus), American three-toed (P. dorsalis),|hairy (P. villosus) woodpeckers|Northern flickers (Colaptes auratus)|chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds|species of duck. black-backed (Picoides arcticus), American three-toed (P. dorsalis), and hairy (P. villosus) woodpeckers|Northern flickers|chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds and some species of duck. black-backed (Picoides arcticus), American three-toed (P. dorsalis), and hairy (P. villosus) woodpeckers|Northern flickers|chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds|duck.