EVALUATION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVICES TO DETERMINE NESTLING DIET OF THE ENDANGERED RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER

An efficient, non-invasive protocol to quantify the diet of nestling R ed-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) was described and evaluate d. The method posed no potential hazard to either the adults or young, and afforded nearly constant monitoring of prey brought to nestlings. During four vials with three woodpecker groups in 1992 and 1993, a vi deo camera with a passive infrared sensor, a ''lipstick'' fiber optics camera, a manual focus camera attached to a spotting scope, and an au tofocus camera with an active infrared detector were evaluated. Use of a Nikon F4 camera and flash attachment affixed to a deer stand and in terfaced with a Trailmaster sensor unit mounted on the cavity tree ena bled identification of approximately 65% of the arthropods in nearly 3 000 photographs of adults bringing food to the nestlings. The other se tups had serious drawbacks and were deemed unsuitable.