1
00:00:01,500 --> 00:00:06,633
♪♪

2
00:00:06,633 --> 00:00:10,400
GIAMATTI: If your neighbor is
a woodpecker, you'll know it.

3
00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:11,933
[ Tapping ]

4
00:00:11,933 --> 00:00:15,600
♪♪

5
00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:18,400
Woodpeckers like to make noise.

6
00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:24,433
It's how they claim a territory
and show off for mates.

7
00:00:24,433 --> 00:00:27,933
But with heads like hammers
and bills like chisels,

8
00:00:27,933 --> 00:00:31,900
they do much
more than sound off.

9
00:00:31,900 --> 00:00:34,966
Drumming is their song...

10
00:00:34,966 --> 00:00:38,666
drilling is how
they find food...

11
00:00:38,666 --> 00:00:40,633
and highly skilled carpentry

12
00:00:40,633 --> 00:00:44,200
is how they craft
their remarkable homes.

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00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,466
♪♪

14
00:00:47,466 --> 00:00:50,933
These holes in trees,
in many shapes and sizes,

15
00:00:50,933 --> 00:00:55,266
make woodpeckers important
to everyone in the forest.

16
00:00:55,266 --> 00:00:57,933
[ Birds chirping ]

17
00:00:57,933 --> 00:01:04,333
They are architects, engineers,
and consummate woodworkers,

18
00:01:04,333 --> 00:01:07,400
and this is their "hole" story.

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♪♪

20
00:01:19,766 --> 00:01:29,633
♪♪

21
00:01:47,933 --> 00:01:49,966
[ Birds chirping ]

22
00:02:00,233 --> 00:02:03,733
GIAMATTI: Among all the morning
voices in a forest,

23
00:02:03,733 --> 00:02:06,833
there is one
unmistakable sound.

24
00:02:06,833 --> 00:02:09,533
[ Tapping ]

25
00:02:11,166 --> 00:02:13,833
It's not made by a voice at all.

26
00:02:13,833 --> 00:02:16,533
[ Tapping continues ]

27
00:02:16,533 --> 00:02:20,633
It's a moment of percussion
on a wooden instrument.

28
00:02:20,633 --> 00:02:26,466
♪♪

29
00:02:26,466 --> 00:02:29,800
It's the signature
sound of a woodpecker.

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♪♪

31
00:02:36,266 --> 00:02:42,733
♪♪

32
00:02:42,733 --> 00:02:45,000
Woodpeckers don't sing.

33
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They drum.

34
00:02:47,666 --> 00:02:50,666
And they drum in
every kind of forest,

35
00:02:50,666 --> 00:02:52,966
almost everywhere in the world.

36
00:02:52,966 --> 00:02:58,566
♪♪

37
00:02:58,566 --> 00:03:04,200
♪♪

38
00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,433
They're at home in trees
throughout North

39
00:03:06,433 --> 00:03:08,966
and South America,

40
00:03:08,966 --> 00:03:12,933
across Europe, Asia,
and Africa.

41
00:03:12,933 --> 00:03:16,600
the current count is 239
species in all.

42
00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:25,533
♪♪

43
00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:33,366
The Pileated woodpecker is
a master of this world of wood

44
00:03:33,366 --> 00:03:36,466
and striking in every respect.

45
00:03:40,500 --> 00:03:43,766
He's one of the largest forest
birds in North America.

46
00:03:47,533 --> 00:03:51,866
His name comes from the bright
red crest across his pileum --

47
00:03:51,866 --> 00:03:54,833
the top of his head
from beak to nape.

48
00:03:58,166 --> 00:04:00,766
He drums to announce himself.

49
00:04:04,666 --> 00:04:09,633
Banging your head into a tree
has always seemed reckless,

50
00:04:09,633 --> 00:04:12,033
but woodpeckers suffer
no brain damage.

51
00:04:17,233 --> 00:04:20,033
His head and bill can act
like a hammer

52
00:04:20,033 --> 00:04:22,400
because his brain
is small enough to sustain

53
00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:25,666
repeated shocks without injury.

54
00:04:28,300 --> 00:04:31,700
But he does take safety
precautions with his eyes.

55
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An extra eyelid closes
at the moment of every impact.

56
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[ Distant tapping ]

57
00:04:51,933 --> 00:04:55,333
The Pileated slams hard into
the decaying wood

58
00:04:55,333 --> 00:04:56,866
of a dead tree.

59
00:04:59,266 --> 00:05:02,866
He pounds with intent,

60
00:05:02,866 --> 00:05:06,533
then pauses to listen.

61
00:05:06,533 --> 00:05:08,700
He's hunting!

62
00:05:08,700 --> 00:05:14,333
♪♪

63
00:05:14,333 --> 00:05:17,700
His favorite quarry is deep
in the rotten wood.

64
00:05:21,100 --> 00:05:23,200
He drills again...

65
00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:27,066
and listens again.

66
00:05:27,066 --> 00:05:32,100
♪♪

67
00:05:32,100 --> 00:05:35,933
Inside the tree,
carpenter ants are frantic.

68
00:05:39,266 --> 00:05:42,033
It's a large colony
that has made a home

69
00:05:42,033 --> 00:05:45,900
in what must have felt
like a very safe place.

70
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♪♪

71
00:05:51,700 --> 00:05:56,466
They moved in when the tree
was already dead or dying,

72
00:05:56,466 --> 00:05:59,400
its inner layers soft
and decaying.

73
00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,600
They've chewed
extensive galleries

74
00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,233
with passages and chambers where
they are nurturing their young.

75
00:06:11,300 --> 00:06:15,000
Now, a monster is looming.

76
00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,733
A 19-inch killer dinosaur
is at the door!

77
00:06:24,900 --> 00:06:29,700
He can hear the ants
scurrying in panic.

78
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♪♪

79
00:06:38,766 --> 00:06:41,400
The Pileated redoubles
his efforts,

80
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using his massive beak
to rip into the wood.

81
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♪♪

82
00:06:53,466 --> 00:06:56,933
He carves out an enormous
oblong opening.

83
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♪♪

84
00:07:02,766 --> 00:07:06,933
Inside, the ants are deploying
their best defense.

85
00:07:06,933 --> 00:07:12,066
They've laid down formic acid to
deter their predator's attack.

86
00:07:12,066 --> 00:07:15,200
But the woodpecker
seems immune...

87
00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,266
licking the wood
as he gets closer

88
00:07:17,266 --> 00:07:19,900
and closer to the colony...

89
00:07:19,900 --> 00:07:24,400
tasting their chemical deterrent
with no ill effect.

90
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♪♪

91
00:07:30,500 --> 00:07:36,600
♪♪

92
00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:41,200
Inevitably, the determined
Pileated prevails.

93
00:07:44,733 --> 00:07:46,833
The ant nest is breached,

94
00:07:46,833 --> 00:07:49,800
and the woodpecker
begins to feast.

95
00:07:54,433 --> 00:07:57,933
Trees can't hide
their secrets from him.

96
00:07:57,933 --> 00:08:03,066
It's as if he can see
what's happening inside them.

97
00:08:03,066 --> 00:08:05,366
Perhaps that's no wonder.

98
00:08:05,366 --> 00:08:09,300
Trees have been his world
for a very long time.

99
00:08:09,300 --> 00:08:17,500
♪♪

100
00:08:17,500 --> 00:08:20,566
We know that woodpeckers
come from an ancient lineage

101
00:08:20,566 --> 00:08:25,566
that separated from other birds
some 24 million years ago.

102
00:08:27,633 --> 00:08:30,833
And they are different
in so many ways.

103
00:08:34,333 --> 00:08:36,466
[ Tapping ]

104
00:08:36,466 --> 00:08:40,366
Woodpeckers are all about trees.

105
00:08:40,366 --> 00:08:41,766
Even in the air.

106
00:08:41,766 --> 00:08:43,866
[ Squawking ]

107
00:08:47,933 --> 00:08:52,233
Their flight has
an undulating pattern.

108
00:08:52,233 --> 00:08:56,933
A few wingbeats are followed
by a tucked in glide --

109
00:08:56,933 --> 00:09:01,266
a way of navigating
through the branches.

110
00:09:01,266 --> 00:09:07,266
♪♪

111
00:09:07,266 --> 00:09:09,633
They are not long-distance
travelers.

112
00:09:12,900 --> 00:09:16,766
They typically fly from tree
to tree...

113
00:09:16,766 --> 00:09:20,100
and come in
for vertical landings.

114
00:09:20,100 --> 00:09:29,033
♪♪

115
00:09:29,033 --> 00:09:32,066
With large, impressively
clawed feet,

116
00:09:32,066 --> 00:09:34,866
they move across a tree trunk
like rock climbers

117
00:09:34,866 --> 00:09:36,700
on walls of bark.

118
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♪♪

119
00:09:44,166 --> 00:09:47,666
They can even go exploring
upside down.

120
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♪♪

121
00:09:54,366 --> 00:09:56,866
Their short legs are strong
and work together

122
00:09:56,866 --> 00:09:59,366
with stiff specialized
tail feathers

123
00:09:59,366 --> 00:10:03,366
to support their weight
against the tree.

124
00:10:03,366 --> 00:10:04,766
This tripod provides

125
00:10:04,766 --> 00:10:07,800
the leverage
they need to work the wood.

126
00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:15,533
♪♪

127
00:10:15,533 --> 00:10:17,866
What began as a way
to find food...

128
00:10:17,866 --> 00:10:19,066
[ Tapping ]

129
00:10:19,066 --> 00:10:21,233
...developed into a way
to communicate.

130
00:10:23,566 --> 00:10:26,800
And so they "talk" to each other
by drumming.

131
00:10:30,700 --> 00:10:34,866
Each species taps out
its own rhythm,

132
00:10:34,866 --> 00:10:39,100
to stake out a territory...

133
00:10:39,100 --> 00:10:41,466
and call for a mate.

134
00:10:41,466 --> 00:10:45,966
♪♪

135
00:10:45,966 --> 00:10:48,766
[ Tapping ]

136
00:10:48,766 --> 00:10:56,633
♪♪

137
00:10:56,633 --> 00:11:01,300
When nesting season arrives,
they carve deep into trees,

138
00:11:01,300 --> 00:11:04,100
hollowing out
a family stronghold.

139
00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:13,266
These holes are the woodpeckers'
universal trademark.

140
00:11:13,266 --> 00:11:17,366
No matter where they live,
every woodpecker of every kind

141
00:11:17,366 --> 00:11:19,766
makes a hole for a home.

142
00:11:19,766 --> 00:11:23,300
[ Chirping ]

143
00:11:23,300 --> 00:11:26,500
It's a feature that unites
the family,

144
00:11:26,500 --> 00:11:29,800
and it's what makes them
such significant citizens

145
00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:31,633
of the forest.

146
00:11:31,633 --> 00:11:35,533
[ Chirping ]

147
00:11:47,500 --> 00:11:53,733
In the dark forests of Poland,
in Stolowe National Park,

148
00:11:53,733 --> 00:11:57,666
wild and eerie calls
inhabit the woods.

149
00:11:57,666 --> 00:12:00,266
[ Bird calls ]

150
00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:06,266
[ Tapping ]

151
00:12:06,266 --> 00:12:11,000
They belong to a pair of rarely
filmed Black woodpeckers

152
00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,566
calling to each other
through the trees.

153
00:12:13,566 --> 00:12:16,300
[ Calling ]

154
00:12:16,300 --> 00:12:18,766
They are large, imposing birds,

155
00:12:18,766 --> 00:12:22,200
jet black with a splash
of red on their crowns.

156
00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:27,933
♪♪

157
00:12:27,933 --> 00:12:29,900
[ Woodpecker calls ]

158
00:12:32,166 --> 00:12:35,000
These two have made a home
in a beech tree

159
00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,900
and are raising a family
80 feet up in the air.

160
00:12:42,933 --> 00:12:47,033
They dote on their three little
chicks only eight days old.

161
00:12:49,166 --> 00:12:52,400
The nest hole
is surprisingly deep.

162
00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:56,233
The adults have chiseled down
15 inches into the tree,

163
00:12:56,233 --> 00:12:59,866
painstakingly removing
all the debris,

164
00:12:59,866 --> 00:13:01,733
except for a layer of wood chips

165
00:13:01,733 --> 00:13:03,700
that line the bottom
of the hole.

166
00:13:07,233 --> 00:13:09,933
At first, the little woodies
nap a lot,

167
00:13:09,933 --> 00:13:14,133
securely tucked away
in their dark wooden womb.

168
00:13:14,133 --> 00:13:15,900
[ Chicks chirping ]

169
00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,233
But, soon, all the chicks
are crying, all of the time...

170
00:13:31,533 --> 00:13:35,600
...not the least interested
in concealing their presence.

171
00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:40,033
The nest is so high,
it's almost predator proof.

172
00:13:40,033 --> 00:13:44,266
♪♪

173
00:13:44,266 --> 00:13:47,433
Their father,
in his full red cap...

174
00:13:47,433 --> 00:13:52,466
♪♪

175
00:13:52,466 --> 00:13:54,766
...and their mother in her
smaller one...

176
00:13:56,766 --> 00:13:59,266
ply back and forth with food...

177
00:13:59,266 --> 00:14:02,066
while the chicks grow and grow.

178
00:14:02,066 --> 00:14:08,366
♪♪

179
00:14:08,366 --> 00:14:12,833
With daylight approaching
17 hours at the height of June,

180
00:14:12,833 --> 00:14:15,300
there's no rest for the weary.

181
00:14:23,700 --> 00:14:25,766
Their forest is not
the ancient world

182
00:14:25,766 --> 00:14:29,366
Black woodpeckers used to know.

183
00:14:29,366 --> 00:14:33,766
Most of these trees are young,
less than a century old.

184
00:14:33,766 --> 00:14:37,233
But they're regaining
old ground,

185
00:14:37,233 --> 00:14:41,266
and woodpeckers are an important
part of their comeback story.

186
00:14:45,700 --> 00:14:50,133
The female is searching for her
favorite meal -- carpenter ants.

187
00:14:54,133 --> 00:14:58,900
Her handiwork is easy to find
in the forest.

188
00:14:58,900 --> 00:15:01,966
Her old nest holes
from previous years,

189
00:15:01,966 --> 00:15:04,000
even her winter roosting holes,

190
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,366
are bringing other creatures
back into this forest.

191
00:15:10,233 --> 00:15:14,600
She's helping
Eurasian Red squirrels...

192
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,166
Great tits...

193
00:15:17,166 --> 00:15:20,400
and Boreal owls find homes
here, too,

194
00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,600
where they can raise
their own young.

195
00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:28,833
♪♪

196
00:15:28,833 --> 00:15:32,633
Her life's work is to make
her world more diverse,

197
00:15:32,633 --> 00:15:37,600
more complex,
more like it used to be.

198
00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:39,800
[ Chicks chirping ]

199
00:15:42,933 --> 00:15:44,433
Back in the nest,

200
00:15:44,433 --> 00:15:47,666
the chicks are beginning
to look like real woodpeckers.

201
00:15:51,333 --> 00:15:54,966
From the red feathers sprouting
on their own little crowns,

202
00:15:54,966 --> 00:15:58,666
it appears they are two females
and one male.

203
00:15:58,666 --> 00:16:05,866
♪♪

204
00:16:05,866 --> 00:16:09,533
Their childhoods are brief.

205
00:16:09,533 --> 00:16:14,000
Soon, they will fly
from this lofty hole...

206
00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:15,766
and three more Black woodpeckers

207
00:16:15,766 --> 00:16:19,800
will carry on
their important work...

208
00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,666
making everything new
old again.

209
00:16:23,666 --> 00:16:26,933
♪♪

210
00:16:34,500 --> 00:16:36,166
When the year turns

211
00:16:36,166 --> 00:16:38,933
and the New England woods
are cold and snowy...

212
00:16:38,933 --> 00:16:41,866
[ Tapping ]

213
00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:45,933
...the Pileated remains
in his forest.

214
00:16:50,733 --> 00:16:53,966
He continues his search
for ants and larvae,

215
00:16:53,966 --> 00:16:57,300
even when they've gone dormant
and are no longer moving.

216
00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,766
A dead tree is an almost
constant source of insects

217
00:17:02,766 --> 00:17:06,766
that he can mine
all through the winter.

218
00:17:06,766 --> 00:17:11,366
♪♪

219
00:17:11,366 --> 00:17:13,400
In the very same forest,

220
00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:15,200
among the smallest
of his cousins

221
00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:18,000
are also making their way
through the season.

222
00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:23,300
The diminutive Downy woodpecker
is named

223
00:17:23,300 --> 00:17:26,333
for the soft white feathers
that keep them warm.

224
00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,666
Their black and white suits,
with a dash of red for the male,

225
00:17:32,666 --> 00:17:37,266
are a miniature variation
of the bold Pileated's,

226
00:17:37,266 --> 00:17:40,533
and offer them a way
of blending into the trees.

227
00:17:40,533 --> 00:17:49,600
♪♪

228
00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,000
Downies search for insects

229
00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,500
that winter
just beneath the bark.

230
00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,733
They often join small mixed
bands of chickadees...

231
00:18:01,733 --> 00:18:04,100
white-breasted nuthatches...

232
00:18:04,100 --> 00:18:05,800
and tufted titmice.

233
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:11,866
♪♪

234
00:18:11,866 --> 00:18:14,766
Several little birds may even
roost together overnight

235
00:18:14,766 --> 00:18:17,066
if the weather is severe.

236
00:18:21,966 --> 00:18:26,833
♪♪

237
00:18:26,833 --> 00:18:29,633
But as winter thaws
and spring arrives,

238
00:18:29,633 --> 00:18:34,500
the camaraderie turns
to competition.

239
00:18:34,500 --> 00:18:37,500
They all want nests
in tree cavities,

240
00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:40,700
and a woodpecker hole
would do nicely.

241
00:18:43,766 --> 00:18:47,100
The little Downies are
highly skilled carpenters

242
00:18:47,100 --> 00:18:50,866
and build
a new nest every year.

243
00:18:50,866 --> 00:18:55,133
No small bird needing a home
can resist a look inside.

244
00:18:57,466 --> 00:19:01,100
A chickadee can excavate
its own nest in rotten wood,

245
00:19:01,100 --> 00:19:05,400
but a finished Downy nest
would be so much easier.

246
00:19:08,133 --> 00:19:11,566
A white-breasted nuthatch wants
a simple renovation,

247
00:19:11,566 --> 00:19:14,366
something it doesn't have
to build from scratch.

248
00:19:17,433 --> 00:19:20,333
A little titmouse can't drill
into wood at all.

249
00:19:20,333 --> 00:19:23,800
It needs an empty nest hole
that's move-in ready.

250
00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,200
[ Chirping ]

251
00:19:27,466 --> 00:19:32,766
A lucky house wren has already
laid claim to an empty hole

252
00:19:32,766 --> 00:19:35,533
and is bringing in
her own nesting materials.

253
00:19:35,533 --> 00:19:41,266
♪♪

254
00:19:41,266 --> 00:19:46,200
And a family of tree swallows
has commandeered another.

255
00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:49,966
The female has lined the hole
with feathers and pine boughs.

256
00:19:49,966 --> 00:19:56,500
♪♪

257
00:19:56,500 --> 00:20:00,033
All these little birds know
a woodpecker hole is

258
00:20:00,033 --> 00:20:04,233
the safest place in the forest
to raise their chicks.

259
00:20:04,233 --> 00:20:06,766
[ Chirping ]

260
00:20:17,300 --> 00:20:20,733
As spring reaches north
into the woods of Maine,

261
00:20:20,733 --> 00:20:24,833
a Ruby-throated hummingbird
zings into the scene

262
00:20:24,833 --> 00:20:27,133
with a flash of green and red.

263
00:20:30,766 --> 00:20:34,333
He's come all the way from
the tropics of Central America,

264
00:20:34,333 --> 00:20:37,500
nectaring on flowers
as they bloom along his route.

265
00:20:39,766 --> 00:20:42,533
It's early May,
and here in the north woods,

266
00:20:42,533 --> 00:20:45,933
flowers are still few
and far between.

267
00:20:45,933 --> 00:20:51,066
He's pushing the limits
of his ability to refuel.

268
00:20:51,066 --> 00:20:54,700
But he's got a brilliant
backup plan.

269
00:20:54,700 --> 00:20:58,300
[ Tapping ]

270
00:20:58,300 --> 00:21:00,766
He's timed his migration to meet
the return

271
00:21:00,766 --> 00:21:02,900
of a particular woodpecker --

272
00:21:05,933 --> 00:21:08,233
the Yellow-bellied sapsucker.

273
00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:15,433
Sapsuckers are one of
the few woodpeckers to migrate,

274
00:21:15,433 --> 00:21:20,400
coming back to the north
just as the trees are waking up.

275
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,500
They return to the same
trees year after year.

276
00:21:24,500 --> 00:21:28,333
Birches
are among their favorites.

277
00:21:28,333 --> 00:21:31,233
They tap into different streams
of the tree's plumbing

278
00:21:31,233 --> 00:21:33,966
according to the type
of sap they seek.

279
00:21:36,333 --> 00:21:39,300
The first holes in early spring
intercept the sap

280
00:21:39,300 --> 00:21:42,166
coming up
from the roots into the wood.

281
00:21:44,366 --> 00:21:48,033
These holes are small, round,
and deep.

282
00:21:50,233 --> 00:21:55,533
Immediately, sap wells up
in the wounds and spills over.

283
00:21:55,533 --> 00:21:57,800
This is called birch water.

284
00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:03,500
It's thin but full of minerals
and hormones.

285
00:22:03,500 --> 00:22:07,766
The tree works to stem the flow
and seal the wound.

286
00:22:07,766 --> 00:22:10,800
So the birds tap to the left

287
00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:12,933
and tap to the right,

288
00:22:12,933 --> 00:22:15,033
moving around the trunk.

289
00:22:18,266 --> 00:22:21,100
As spring unfolds,
sapsuckers switch

290
00:22:21,100 --> 00:22:23,533
to a living layer of inner bark

291
00:22:23,533 --> 00:22:25,333
that sends all
the nutrients made

292
00:22:25,333 --> 00:22:28,500
by the leaves down
to the tree's roots.

293
00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:33,466
♪♪

294
00:22:33,466 --> 00:22:36,800
This sap is loaded
with sucrose,

295
00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:41,133
and sapsuckers can't resist
the sugary syrup.

296
00:22:44,100 --> 00:22:47,266
These shallow holes
are large and square

297
00:22:47,266 --> 00:22:51,866
and contribute to a conspicuous
pattern that moves up the tree.

298
00:22:51,866 --> 00:22:57,100
♪♪

299
00:22:57,100 --> 00:23:02,366
♪♪

300
00:23:02,366 --> 00:23:05,933
A well-worked sapsucker tree
stands out like a beacon

301
00:23:05,933 --> 00:23:09,666
to the little Ruby-throated
hummingbird.

302
00:23:09,666 --> 00:23:12,733
He plans to claim it
as his territory,

303
00:23:12,733 --> 00:23:16,800
just in time to impress
an arriving female.

304
00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:22,633
She's so eager for birch syrup,
she can already taste it.

305
00:23:22,633 --> 00:23:23,800
But...

306
00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:26,500
she's going to have
to wait her turn.

307
00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:35,133
♪♪

308
00:23:35,133 --> 00:23:37,666
Hummers live so close
to the edge,

309
00:23:37,666 --> 00:23:41,733
they fiercely defend
every source of food they have.

310
00:23:41,733 --> 00:23:44,533
Even when it's an entire tree!

311
00:23:44,533 --> 00:23:54,266
♪♪

312
00:23:54,266 --> 00:24:04,100
♪♪

313
00:24:04,100 --> 00:24:06,666
Even the little male,
who was here first,

314
00:24:06,666 --> 00:24:08,333
is given a hard time.

315
00:24:08,333 --> 00:24:15,433
♪♪

316
00:24:15,433 --> 00:24:19,500
Insects, too, love the tree's
sweet, sticky flow.

317
00:24:19,500 --> 00:24:23,633
But for them, it's a honey trap.

318
00:24:23,633 --> 00:24:26,300
Ingenious sapsuckers don't need
to drill into wood

319
00:24:26,300 --> 00:24:28,266
for beetles and grubs.

320
00:24:28,266 --> 00:24:30,433
Sap does the catching for them.

321
00:24:30,433 --> 00:24:37,366
♪♪

322
00:24:37,366 --> 00:24:40,100
And even bees taste better...

323
00:24:40,100 --> 00:24:42,666
dipped in sugar.

324
00:24:46,166 --> 00:24:48,500
It may take years,
but inevitably,

325
00:24:48,500 --> 00:24:52,700
the sapsuckers' holes gird
the birch completely.

326
00:24:52,700 --> 00:24:56,133
Nutrients from the leaves
can no longer reach the roots,

327
00:24:56,133 --> 00:25:00,366
and the tree
finally dies.

328
00:25:00,366 --> 00:25:03,833
But death is not the end
of a tree's story.

329
00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:12,133
Now it becomes food and shelter
for a host of new creatures,

330
00:25:12,133 --> 00:25:14,900
chief among them
the horned passalus,

331
00:25:14,900 --> 00:25:18,933
also known as
the patent-leather beetle.

332
00:25:18,933 --> 00:25:23,833
♪♪

333
00:25:23,833 --> 00:25:26,500
This large black beetle
finds the perfect home

334
00:25:26,500 --> 00:25:29,100
inside dead deciduous trees,

335
00:25:29,100 --> 00:25:32,900
with protection from wild swings
in the weather...

336
00:25:32,900 --> 00:25:35,633
and with all the wood
it can eat.

337
00:25:39,700 --> 00:25:42,133
Its larvae will develop here,
too,

338
00:25:42,133 --> 00:25:44,566
gradually gaining
a taste for wood.

339
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,533
The beetles need dead trees
to survive...

340
00:25:51,533 --> 00:25:53,533
and beetles help keep
the forest system

341
00:25:53,533 --> 00:25:57,033
humming by nourishing
so many birds and mammals.

342
00:26:01,433 --> 00:26:05,033
But the forest has
many partners,

343
00:26:05,033 --> 00:26:09,966
and the greatest may be
these remarkable beings.

344
00:26:09,966 --> 00:26:12,700
Fungi.

345
00:26:12,700 --> 00:26:20,300
♪♪

346
00:26:20,300 --> 00:26:27,866
♪♪

347
00:26:27,866 --> 00:26:33,266
Fungi bear "fruit" that carry
their seed-like spores.

348
00:26:33,266 --> 00:26:36,333
We know them as mushrooms.

349
00:26:36,333 --> 00:26:44,733
♪♪

350
00:26:44,733 --> 00:26:47,333
Neither plants nor animals,

351
00:26:47,333 --> 00:26:51,000
fungi recycle all the components
of the forest,

352
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:55,033
spreading filaments underground
in an organic internet.

353
00:26:55,033 --> 00:27:02,966
♪♪

354
00:27:02,966 --> 00:27:04,666
They break down fallen wood

355
00:27:04,666 --> 00:27:07,633
and send its nutrients
far and wide...

356
00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,366
...to be reincarnated
into living trees.

357
00:27:17,733 --> 00:27:20,000
But while they're still
standing,

358
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,400
dead trees are essential
architecture just as they are.

359
00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:25,900
[ Tapping ]

360
00:27:25,900 --> 00:27:33,200
♪♪

361
00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:35,900
Year after year,
a small Hairy woodpecker

362
00:27:35,900 --> 00:27:38,566
makes nest holes
in a flooded stand

363
00:27:38,566 --> 00:27:40,533
at the edge of a beaver pond.

364
00:27:40,533 --> 00:27:45,833
♪♪

365
00:27:45,833 --> 00:27:47,733
A dead tree with
last year's hole

366
00:27:47,733 --> 00:27:50,433
is exactly the home
Eastern bluebirds

367
00:27:50,433 --> 00:27:53,066
need to raise
their own family.

368
00:27:53,066 --> 00:28:00,600
♪♪

369
00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:08,066
♪♪

370
00:28:08,066 --> 00:28:12,000
As they feed their chicks,
the bluebirds have no idea

371
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,666
how deeply connected everything
in their forest is.

372
00:28:19,933 --> 00:28:24,466
All the bluebirds know
is that the nest is precious...

373
00:28:24,466 --> 00:28:28,200
and they fiercely defend it...

374
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:31,000
even from the little
woodpecker who made it.

375
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:37,966
♪♪

376
00:28:37,966 --> 00:28:44,900
♪♪

377
00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:46,733
The value of trees
to woodpeckers

378
00:28:46,733 --> 00:28:49,333
rises to a dramatic crescendo

379
00:28:49,333 --> 00:28:52,266
in central California's
Carmel Valley.

380
00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,233
It's a story that unfolds
across a sweeping savanna

381
00:28:59,233 --> 00:29:02,100
of oaks and golden grasses.

382
00:29:05,733 --> 00:29:08,400
These gnarled old oaks
have stood their ground

383
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:11,200
for some 500 years.

384
00:29:15,300 --> 00:29:20,533
Their wide-reaching branches are
festooned with lace lichen,

385
00:29:20,533 --> 00:29:23,633
and their bark is so thick
and corrugated,

386
00:29:23,633 --> 00:29:27,566
they have weathered almost
every challenge for centuries.

387
00:29:32,033 --> 00:29:35,433
But a closer look reveals
something astonishing.

388
00:29:35,433 --> 00:29:41,233
♪♪

389
00:29:41,233 --> 00:29:45,600
Acorns, by the tens
of thousands,

390
00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,800
are tattooed into
every nook and cranny.

391
00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:58,133
♪♪

392
00:29:58,133 --> 00:30:01,200
Acorns don't grow this way.

393
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:06,066
Someone has hammered
each one into the bark.

394
00:30:06,066 --> 00:30:10,333
[ Squawking ]

395
00:30:10,333 --> 00:30:13,666
That someone is actually a band
of little round-eyed,

396
00:30:13,666 --> 00:30:16,833
clown-faced,
Acorn woodpeckers.

397
00:30:16,833 --> 00:30:25,566
♪♪

398
00:30:25,566 --> 00:30:29,566
They live in highly structured
families of a dozen or so,

399
00:30:29,566 --> 00:30:33,000
each family claiming
some 15 acres of oaks

400
00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:34,600
and open country.

401
00:30:38,366 --> 00:30:41,166
The trees are their prized
possessions.

402
00:30:43,633 --> 00:30:48,233
Because every autumn,
they produce a windfall.

403
00:30:48,233 --> 00:30:56,033
♪♪

404
00:30:56,033 --> 00:31:00,566
Thousands upon thousands
of nutritious acorns.

405
00:31:00,566 --> 00:31:08,300
♪♪

406
00:31:12,433 --> 00:31:15,533
The acorns are woodpecker
gold --

407
00:31:15,533 --> 00:31:20,266
high in vitamins, minerals,
fats, and protein.

408
00:31:20,266 --> 00:31:23,866
Collecting them is
the woodpeckers' obsession.

409
00:31:23,866 --> 00:31:32,866
♪♪

410
00:31:32,866 --> 00:31:36,166
The acorns are ferried back up
to the tree

411
00:31:36,166 --> 00:31:40,266
and packed into small holes
pecked out for the purpose.

412
00:31:40,266 --> 00:31:45,833
♪♪

413
00:31:45,833 --> 00:31:50,233
This turns the acorns
into treasure --

414
00:31:50,233 --> 00:31:53,600
a seasonal abundance
that can be made to last.

415
00:31:56,800 --> 00:32:01,166
When other foods are scarce,
acorns will be here -

416
00:32:01,166 --> 00:32:04,566
safe in their shells
and ready to eat.

417
00:32:12,566 --> 00:32:15,700
This is prosperity
for the family,

418
00:32:15,700 --> 00:32:17,966
a true measure of wealth.

419
00:32:21,566 --> 00:32:25,600
But wealth, it turns out,
is a whole lot of work.

420
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:33,833
♪♪

421
00:32:33,833 --> 00:32:37,533
Now they constantly test
and turn the acorns

422
00:32:37,533 --> 00:32:39,533
as they dry and shrink,

423
00:32:39,533 --> 00:32:43,366
to make sure each one
is still snug in its hole.

424
00:32:43,366 --> 00:32:49,000
♪♪

425
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:54,666
♪♪

426
00:32:54,666 --> 00:32:56,800
If the hole seems too big...

427
00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:02,500
...they look for a better fit,

428
00:33:02,500 --> 00:33:05,333
tapping the acorn back in tight.

429
00:33:09,766 --> 00:33:12,600
It's a process fraught
with difficult decisions.

430
00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:22,200
♪♪

431
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,366
And an acorn dropped

432
00:33:25,366 --> 00:33:27,566
could be lost forever.

433
00:33:35,466 --> 00:33:39,733
Every member of the family
serves on acorn security duty.

434
00:33:41,700 --> 00:33:45,166
♪♪

435
00:33:45,166 --> 00:33:49,133
A ground squirrel
boldly climbs the oak

436
00:33:49,133 --> 00:33:53,400
only to find the entire tree
is woodpecker property.

437
00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:55,066
[ Woodpeckers squawking ]

438
00:33:55,066 --> 00:34:04,166
♪♪

439
00:34:04,166 --> 00:34:07,366
Any outsider, whether furry
or feathered,

440
00:34:07,366 --> 00:34:09,333
is swiftly dispatched.

441
00:34:11,433 --> 00:34:14,866
What worries the family most
are raiding parties

442
00:34:14,866 --> 00:34:18,266
of competing Acorn woodpeckers.

443
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:22,766
All across the valley,

444
00:34:22,766 --> 00:34:25,866
groups keep an eye
on each other's holdings,

445
00:34:25,866 --> 00:34:29,566
waiting for an opening
to take them over.

446
00:34:29,566 --> 00:34:37,600
♪♪

447
00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:40,933
Woodpecker spies are everywhere,

448
00:34:40,933 --> 00:34:43,200
and though they all look
alike to us,

449
00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:46,966
the home team always knows
who doesn't belong.

450
00:34:46,966 --> 00:34:49,166
[ Squawking ]

451
00:34:49,166 --> 00:34:55,133
♪♪

452
00:34:55,133 --> 00:35:01,166
♪♪

453
00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:05,500
While Acorn woodies
remain tree-bound

454
00:35:05,500 --> 00:35:07,866
and devoted to their oaks,

455
00:35:07,866 --> 00:35:11,700
other woodpeckers have found
success beyond the woods

456
00:35:11,700 --> 00:35:14,166
in open country.

457
00:35:14,166 --> 00:35:16,666
[ Squawking ]

458
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,500
Across the American West,
there lives a remarkable bird

459
00:35:22,500 --> 00:35:25,600
who's expanding
woodpecker horizons.

460
00:35:28,500 --> 00:35:32,266
She barely looks like
a woodpecker at all.

461
00:35:32,266 --> 00:35:36,366
Her feather palette is unlike
any other in the family.

462
00:35:36,366 --> 00:35:40,800
Her face is deep red,
her belly bright pink.

463
00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:45,800
And she sports an interesting
collar of silvery-gray.

464
00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:49,766
This is a Lewis's woodpecker,
named for the explorer

465
00:35:49,766 --> 00:35:54,533
Meriwether Lewis
of Lewis and Clark fame.

466
00:35:54,533 --> 00:35:57,633
Her nest, at least,
is traditional woodpecker,

467
00:35:57,633 --> 00:36:00,666
a deep hole chiseled
out of a large cottonwood.

468
00:36:04,766 --> 00:36:08,400
But from here, she flies out
to an open perch

469
00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:12,033
to scan the landscape
for something to eat.

470
00:36:12,033 --> 00:36:14,933
In nesting season,

471
00:36:14,933 --> 00:36:18,700
the grasslands are rich
in flowers...

472
00:36:18,700 --> 00:36:21,766
and in the insects
that come to pollinate them.

473
00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:27,633
As the pollinators rise
from their flowers,

474
00:36:27,633 --> 00:36:30,333
the Lewis's launches
into the air.

475
00:36:32,933 --> 00:36:35,766
Instead of a woodpecker,

476
00:36:35,766 --> 00:36:38,900
she becomes a flycatcher,

477
00:36:38,900 --> 00:36:41,266
snapping up her prey
on the wing.

478
00:36:41,266 --> 00:36:47,133
♪♪

479
00:36:47,133 --> 00:36:49,100
It's a technique
called "hawking."

480
00:36:51,766 --> 00:36:56,133
In real time, it's hard to see
if she's successful.

481
00:36:56,133 --> 00:37:00,300
But slowed down, it's impressive
how adept she is.

482
00:37:00,300 --> 00:37:08,400
♪♪

483
00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:16,533
♪♪

484
00:37:16,533 --> 00:37:19,333
She returns to the nest trip
after trip...

485
00:37:22,233 --> 00:37:25,766
...with beakfuls of nutritious
bugs for her chicks.

486
00:37:25,766 --> 00:37:31,233
♪♪

487
00:37:31,233 --> 00:37:36,700
♪♪

488
00:37:36,700 --> 00:37:40,133
And tops them off
with gooseberries

489
00:37:40,133 --> 00:37:42,600
for dessert!

490
00:37:46,466 --> 00:37:53,000
♪♪

491
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,866
And then, there are woodpeckers
so unorthodox,

492
00:37:56,866 --> 00:38:00,166
they've abandoned trees
altogether.

493
00:38:03,966 --> 00:38:09,366
Just outside of Tucson, Arizona,
in the Sonoran Desert,

494
00:38:09,366 --> 00:38:11,266
the Gila woodpecker,

495
00:38:11,266 --> 00:38:15,400
with its beautifully patterned
back and wings,

496
00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:19,400
is tucked into the only
tree-like structure around --

497
00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:23,266
a giant saguaro cactus.

498
00:38:23,266 --> 00:38:29,533
Mature saguaros like these
could be 200 years old.

499
00:38:29,533 --> 00:38:35,033
The woodpecker holes themselves
might date back 50 years.

500
00:38:35,033 --> 00:38:37,200
Many generations of
Gila woodies come

501
00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:40,866
and go in the life
of a grand desert sentinel.

502
00:38:40,866 --> 00:38:46,433
♪♪

503
00:38:46,433 --> 00:38:50,933
Nesting in a cactus
takes planning in advance.

504
00:38:50,933 --> 00:38:54,733
After carving out the nest
cavity in between the spines,

505
00:38:54,733 --> 00:38:57,733
the Gila must wait several
months for the inner pulp

506
00:38:57,733 --> 00:39:01,200
to dry into a tough,
leathery casing.

507
00:39:04,566 --> 00:39:06,266
With the nest ready to go,

508
00:39:06,266 --> 00:39:09,233
the male brings an impressive
gift to the female,

509
00:39:09,233 --> 00:39:11,233
who is now sitting on eggs.

510
00:39:13,500 --> 00:39:16,300
And she delicately consumes it,

511
00:39:16,300 --> 00:39:20,233
one spidery leg at a time.

512
00:39:20,233 --> 00:39:27,366
♪♪

513
00:39:27,366 --> 00:39:29,366
Once chicks are in the nest,

514
00:39:29,366 --> 00:39:32,966
both parents fly out
on foraging sorties...

515
00:39:36,100 --> 00:39:38,333
...with the typical
flap-flap-glide

516
00:39:38,333 --> 00:39:41,033
that works so well in forests.

517
00:39:41,033 --> 00:39:48,200
♪♪

518
00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:55,366
♪♪

519
00:39:55,366 --> 00:40:00,066
Though cacti are not trees,
and the Sonoran is not a forest,

520
00:40:00,066 --> 00:40:04,500
the Gilas have found
a woodpecker way to thrive here.

521
00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,733
Yet thousands of miles
to the south,

522
00:40:13,733 --> 00:40:15,300
there's a woodpecker
that has left

523
00:40:15,300 --> 00:40:19,100
even the semblance
of trees far behind.

524
00:40:20,933 --> 00:40:25,066
It lives where no woodpecker
should be at all --

525
00:40:25,066 --> 00:40:26,800
in open Alpine meadows

526
00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:30,500
8,000 feet up
in the Andes of Argentina.

527
00:40:33,333 --> 00:40:36,366
It carves holes here,
not in wood,

528
00:40:36,366 --> 00:40:41,266
but in clay cliffs and the banks
that line high country streams.

529
00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,400
[ Chirping ]

530
00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:52,033
This is the Andean flicker.

531
00:40:55,033 --> 00:40:57,833
He's called a "flicker"
because his wings are tinged

532
00:40:57,833 --> 00:41:01,800
with gold and flash
and flicker in the sunlight

533
00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:03,733
as he takes to the sky.

534
00:41:03,733 --> 00:41:10,966
♪♪

535
00:41:10,966 --> 00:41:13,666
Out in the grasslands,
flickers make a living

536
00:41:13,666 --> 00:41:16,333
by using
their long woodpecker beaks

537
00:41:16,333 --> 00:41:19,700
to probe for worms
and insects in the soil.

538
00:41:22,866 --> 00:41:25,033
He's very committed to his mate.

539
00:41:27,233 --> 00:41:30,133
They like to forage
close together,

540
00:41:30,133 --> 00:41:32,800
hitching across the open terrain
like woodpeckers

541
00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:36,033
going up a tree.

542
00:41:36,033 --> 00:41:37,966
[ Calling ]

543
00:41:43,666 --> 00:41:47,233
They call back and forth
to stay in constant contact.

544
00:41:47,233 --> 00:41:49,833
[ Calling continues ]

545
00:41:58,933 --> 00:42:02,000
After a moment,
the male checks back in.

546
00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:05,333
[ Calling ]

547
00:42:05,333 --> 00:42:07,266
This time...

548
00:42:07,266 --> 00:42:09,266
there's no reply.

549
00:42:09,266 --> 00:42:19,100
♪♪

550
00:42:19,100 --> 00:42:28,933
♪♪

551
00:42:28,933 --> 00:42:31,500
He seeks higher ground
to call again.

552
00:42:31,500 --> 00:42:33,233
[ Calling ]

553
00:42:35,700 --> 00:42:40,133
With no wood to work with,
Andean flickers seldom drum.

554
00:42:40,133 --> 00:42:42,633
Calling is all he can do.

555
00:42:42,633 --> 00:42:44,733
[ Calling ]

556
00:42:44,733 --> 00:42:51,833
♪♪

557
00:42:51,833 --> 00:42:53,833
With the anxious moment over,

558
00:42:53,833 --> 00:42:57,033
the reunited pair share
a brief display...

559
00:42:57,033 --> 00:42:59,733
[ Chirping ]

560
00:43:03,533 --> 00:43:05,933
...and settle down
to forage again.

561
00:43:05,933 --> 00:43:10,800
♪♪

562
00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:14,266
Adapting to life in the open

563
00:43:14,266 --> 00:43:16,100
seems to have made
Andean flickers

564
00:43:16,100 --> 00:43:19,866
more eager than other
woodpeckers for a social life.

565
00:43:21,666 --> 00:43:24,333
♪♪

566
00:43:24,333 --> 00:43:27,433
They even nest in small colonies

567
00:43:27,433 --> 00:43:29,966
with maybe a dozen birds

568
00:43:29,966 --> 00:43:32,566
sharing a cliff
in close proximity.

569
00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:37,833
They also tolerate a small
neighbor eager

570
00:43:37,833 --> 00:43:39,933
to use their nest holes, too.

571
00:43:44,166 --> 00:43:45,866
Blue-and-white swallows

572
00:43:45,866 --> 00:43:48,766
like the same
high-altitude grasslands,

573
00:43:48,766 --> 00:43:50,200
though they forage in the air

574
00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:54,833
and don't compete
with the flickers for food.

575
00:43:54,833 --> 00:43:58,000
And their busy chatter adds life
to the little village

576
00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:01,466
on the cliffs
of the flickers' high frontier.

577
00:44:01,466 --> 00:44:03,900
[ Chirping ]

578
00:44:03,900 --> 00:44:07,266
♪♪

579
00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:14,166
The social scene is much more
intense back in the oak trees

580
00:44:14,166 --> 00:44:15,766
of California.

581
00:44:19,033 --> 00:44:23,100
As nesting season comes around,
the family life of Acorn woodies

582
00:44:23,100 --> 00:44:25,333
becomes more cooperative,

583
00:44:25,333 --> 00:44:29,633
more competitive,
and more complex than ever.

584
00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:33,933
In every family group,

585
00:44:33,933 --> 00:44:37,500
there may be three
or four females that breed...

586
00:44:37,500 --> 00:44:40,500
and three or four males
that breed, too.

587
00:44:42,666 --> 00:44:45,433
The males are distinguished by
white foreheads

588
00:44:45,433 --> 00:44:47,400
and bright red crowns.

589
00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,600
The females also have
white foreheads,

590
00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:55,900
but their crowns
are black and red.

591
00:44:55,900 --> 00:44:57,900
[ Squawking ]

592
00:45:00,833 --> 00:45:04,100
These breeding birds all mate
with each other,

593
00:45:04,100 --> 00:45:06,800
but never stray
outside the group.

594
00:45:09,866 --> 00:45:12,133
The rest of the family
are helpers,

595
00:45:12,133 --> 00:45:15,666
older siblings waiting
to move up to breeding status.

596
00:45:25,333 --> 00:45:28,566
The females manage
to sync their breeding

597
00:45:28,566 --> 00:45:33,200
to lay their eggs
at the same time.

598
00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:35,233
They all use the same nest

599
00:45:35,233 --> 00:45:38,466
and take turns incubating
the group's eggs.

600
00:45:41,766 --> 00:45:46,300
But it's a male's duty to tend
the eggs through the night,

601
00:45:46,300 --> 00:45:49,000
and whether this one's
a father or not,

602
00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:52,466
he's come to take over...

603
00:45:52,466 --> 00:45:54,966
and settles down in the dark.

604
00:45:58,966 --> 00:46:01,733
Soon enough, the family
is hard at work.

605
00:46:05,366 --> 00:46:07,333
Not every egg hatches,

606
00:46:07,333 --> 00:46:12,633
but the family now
has three chicks to raise.

607
00:46:12,633 --> 00:46:15,133
The chicks are naked
and blind,

608
00:46:15,133 --> 00:46:16,733
but they're loud...

609
00:46:16,733 --> 00:46:19,533
[ Chicks chirping ]

610
00:46:19,533 --> 00:46:23,066
...and quick to respond
when an adult comes with food.

611
00:46:31,033 --> 00:46:35,666
Now the ready supply of acorns
really pays off.

612
00:46:35,666 --> 00:46:39,100
The chicks can start out
on nutritious acorn mash

613
00:46:39,100 --> 00:46:41,033
and never go hungry.

614
00:46:51,233 --> 00:46:56,033
In just 18 days, they're
sprouting long, dark feathers.

615
00:46:59,700 --> 00:47:02,933
Soon, they develop
their first crown plumage,

616
00:47:02,933 --> 00:47:05,366
and they all appear to be male.

617
00:47:05,366 --> 00:47:07,600
Except...they're not.

618
00:47:10,533 --> 00:47:12,866
All Acorn chicks wear
male plumage

619
00:47:12,866 --> 00:47:15,066
until their first winter.

620
00:47:15,066 --> 00:47:17,700
No one knows why.

621
00:47:17,700 --> 00:47:22,200
♪♪

622
00:47:22,200 --> 00:47:25,800
At every feeding, each chick
wants all the attention.

623
00:47:30,666 --> 00:47:32,900
But they're all getting
plenty of food.

624
00:47:36,900 --> 00:47:41,433
Every adult in the group --
the mothers, the fathers,

625
00:47:41,433 --> 00:47:45,100
all the helping aunts,
brothers, uncles, and sisters --

626
00:47:45,100 --> 00:47:48,166
is bringing them
a constant supply.

627
00:47:48,166 --> 00:47:54,933
♪♪

628
00:47:54,933 --> 00:48:01,800
♪♪

629
00:48:06,566 --> 00:48:10,666
But one female
has her own agenda.

630
00:48:10,666 --> 00:48:14,166
Somehow, she's well out of sync
with the other females

631
00:48:14,166 --> 00:48:18,233
and drops into the nest
now to start laying eggs --

632
00:48:18,233 --> 00:48:20,500
right in the middle
of the mayhem!

633
00:48:24,733 --> 00:48:29,833
The female tries over and over
to incubate the new eggs,

634
00:48:29,833 --> 00:48:32,133
but it's no use.

635
00:48:32,133 --> 00:48:34,500
These eggs will never hatch.

636
00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:38,933
But the chicks are doing well

637
00:48:38,933 --> 00:48:41,400
under all
the relentless parenting.

638
00:48:45,733 --> 00:48:48,800
It's been just three weeks
since they hatched.

639
00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:51,233
Now the adults stop
entering the nest

640
00:48:51,233 --> 00:48:54,366
and encourage the youngsters
to climb to the hole.

641
00:48:57,333 --> 00:49:05,466
♪♪

642
00:49:05,466 --> 00:49:07,633
Though this little woodpecker
is so eager

643
00:49:07,633 --> 00:49:10,233
to look out
on an exciting world,

644
00:49:10,233 --> 00:49:15,366
he can have no idea what changes
are on their way to his valley.

645
00:49:19,533 --> 00:49:23,033
Ready or not,
he's launching into it.

646
00:49:23,033 --> 00:49:28,633
♪♪

647
00:49:28,633 --> 00:49:34,200
♪♪

648
00:49:34,200 --> 00:49:37,900
Every spring, a new class
of young woodpeckers graduates

649
00:49:37,900 --> 00:49:42,166
from their nest holes to take
on the challenge of growing up.

650
00:49:42,166 --> 00:49:47,633
♪♪

651
00:49:47,633 --> 00:49:50,433
Their abilities will surely
be tested under the stress

652
00:49:50,433 --> 00:49:54,166
of rising temperatures
and unpredictable weather.

653
00:49:56,333 --> 00:50:00,100
Some forests will be parched
for water.

654
00:50:00,100 --> 00:50:02,133
[ Thunder crashes ]

655
00:50:02,133 --> 00:50:04,400
Others will have too much.

656
00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:10,033
♪♪

657
00:50:10,033 --> 00:50:13,566
Already, trees and insects
are on the move.

658
00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:18,966
But woodpeckers
have skills honed

659
00:50:18,966 --> 00:50:22,400
over many millions of years.

660
00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:25,200
They will not be caught
standing still.

661
00:50:25,200 --> 00:50:33,766
♪♪

662
00:50:33,766 --> 00:50:36,900
Bright and beautiful
Red-bellied woodpeckers

663
00:50:36,900 --> 00:50:42,633
have been steadily moving north
for some 70 years.

664
00:50:42,633 --> 00:50:44,400
Historically,
they were residents

665
00:50:44,400 --> 00:50:46,633
of the American Southeast,

666
00:50:46,633 --> 00:50:49,766
only rarely seen north
of the New York border.

667
00:50:49,766 --> 00:50:56,933
♪♪

668
00:50:56,933 --> 00:51:02,000
But by 1980, Red-bellies
were nesting around Boston

669
00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:04,066
and the southern Great Lakes.

670
00:51:04,066 --> 00:51:09,766
♪♪

671
00:51:09,766 --> 00:51:12,766
As the millennium dawned
20 years later,

672
00:51:12,766 --> 00:51:18,533
they had crossed into Canada,
from Quebec to central Ontario.

673
00:51:18,533 --> 00:51:23,966
♪♪

674
00:51:23,966 --> 00:51:27,933
[ Calling ]

675
00:51:27,933 --> 00:51:30,800
Today, these
woodpeckers-on-the-move

676
00:51:30,800 --> 00:51:34,133
are continuing
their conquest of the North,

677
00:51:34,133 --> 00:51:37,500
a range expansion
of a thousand miles.

678
00:51:37,500 --> 00:51:40,800
[ Calling ]

679
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:47,366
♪♪

680
00:51:47,366 --> 00:51:50,400
A warming world is a boon
to them...

681
00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:52,733
and they have seized the moment.

682
00:51:52,733 --> 00:52:02,633
♪♪

683
00:52:02,633 --> 00:52:04,566
For every coming change,

684
00:52:04,566 --> 00:52:08,700
there will be winners
and losers.

685
00:52:08,700 --> 00:52:12,233
And as woodpeckers everywhere
face the future,

686
00:52:12,233 --> 00:52:15,466
may their resilience
and innovative homes

687
00:52:15,466 --> 00:52:18,500
help secure their survival.

688
00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:34,533
♪♪

689
00:52:34,533 --> 00:52:44,533
♪♪

690
00:52:44,533 --> 00:52:54,533
♪♪

691
00:52:54,533 --> 00:52:57,800
♪♪

692
00:52:57,800 --> 00:53:01,266
To learn more about what you've
seen on this "Nature" program,

693
00:53:01,266 --> 00:53:03,200
visit pbs.org.

694
00:53:03,200 --> 00:53:12,900
♪♪