Only Three Toes?  Really? Why?

Bird names that describe a physical feature are especially helpful when one considers that 310 species make Alberta home and another 110 species visit our province from time to time. Not having thought deeply about the number of toes on birds by species, our curiosity about a sixth species of woodpecker, this one having only three toes, motivated an intentional search.  

Locating good stands of spruce or coniferous trees was key to us having a chance to find our new bird, the American Three-toed Woodpecker. Spruce tree stands that have been impacted by bark beetles, or are standing in recently burnt-out areas, are real attractions for this woodpecker.

Diverging from our usual birding trail in Bebo Grove within Fish Creek Provincial Park, we walked slowly on a quiet, warm Tuesday morning, listening carefully for bird calls and any woodpecker-like sounds. Hearing a tapping noise, we stopped and focused our aging ears on finding the location of the tap. We shared a smile when we saw a moving head delightfully crowned with yellow-gold feathers.

Looking at the feathers on its back, we knew we had a male American Three-toed Woodpecker working busily on a small spruce tree. Unlike the Black-backed Woodpecker, the three-toed has a barred black and white back, while its near-twin has a solid ink-black set of feathers. Both species share barred flanks with a mix of black, white, and grey feathers. To help distinguish between the lookalikes, the three-toed is larger than a Downy Woodpecker but smaller than a Hairy Woodpecker. The Black-backed is closer to the size of a Hairy Woodpecker.  

At work, the three-toed woodpecker chips scales of spruce bark from a sideways angle. While we were snapping photographs, a flake of spruce bark would fly by, surprising us both. 

Some ornithologists believe that with the evolutionary loss of the fourth toe, the three-toed can lean farther away from the tree and indeed hit it harder than any four-toed woodpecker that lives in Alberta. The black-backed has the same foraging technique, but will often be at a lower height on the trees.  

In addition to sharing similar environments, the Black-backed Woodpecker also has three toes. It is also more likely to be seen in recently-burned coniferous forests when picking is prime for wood beetle larvae. The black-backed will fly great distances in search of burnt forested areas, whereas the three-toed is more sedentary, staying in or near its home range.  

Fortunately Cold Lake Provincial Park is within the transition from parkland to boreal forest zones, hence both of these woodpecker species have been seen. A favourite location Elaine and I had when looking for Black-backed woodpeckers was in the spruce deadfalls near the parking lot at the Long Bay boat launch. 

If you feel peckish and are looking for a new bird in unique habitats, seek out Alberta’s  three-toed species.