Riperian Corridor Birds

In many areas of Ohio where the former woodlands have been reduced to small isolated woodlots (usually no more than 10 to 50 acres), the forested stream corridors extend for miles in an unbroken band and provide a large percentage of the woodland habitats required by so many species. This is particularly true for many of Ohio's breeding bird species.

The presence or absence of key indicator species is one way to assess the quality of the riparian forests found along Ohio's scenic rivers.

Riperian Corridor Birds of Ohio

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Northern FlickerPermanent resident

A fairly common species statewide in Ohio inhabiting a variety of wooded and semi-wooded habitats including parks, residential areas, and wooded stream corridors.

It avoids the interiors of the larger woodlands more than the other resident woodpeckers in the state. Flickers are a characteristic species of wooded edge habitats and riparian corridors where they are found nesting in the cavities of dead trees and snags.

Competition for nest sites with the European starling have resulted in a noticeable decrease in the numbers of flickers in Ohio during the past 30 years.