10/04/2026
Local birders document the first worldwide record of a European Starling feeding a Pileated Woodpecker nestling, a behavior never before documented in this species. Right here in Middle Tennessee!
Robin Nation and Jane Powell were the field observers and Dr. Jeff Walck, authored the following scientific paper now in the Tennessee Ornithological Society journal, The Migrant.
The field work and data collection was a prime example of citizen science in action!
Here is the published article:
The Migrant 96(3): 70-71, 2025
ROUND TABLE NOTE
CROSS-SPECIES FEEDING OF PILEATED WOODPECKER NESTLINGS BY EURO-
PEAN STARLING – In Cedars of Lebanon State Park (Wilson County, TN), a pair of Pi-
leated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) established a cavity nest in a wooden light pole.
This pole is at the edge of a lawn and contains several old cavities, approximately 9 m above
ground. The woodpeckers were first spotted on the pole on 29 March 2025 (eBird checklist
S221528755), and copulation was observed on 12 April 2025 (S225028046). The woodpeck-
ers occupied the cavity afterwards and occasionally were fighting with a European Starling
(Sturnus vulgaris) over the cavity. By 22 May 2025, the adult woodpeckers were feeding
three nestlings (S241201323).
Figure 1. Male European Starling feeding a beetle to a Pileated Woodpecker nestling on
29 May 2025 in Cedars of Lebanon State Park (Wilson County, TN). Photo by R. Nation.
See photo above.
Between 29-31 May 2025, a male starling (evidenced by blue at base of bill) was observed
feeding a beetle and caterpillar to the nestlings a few times during our visits at approximately once per hour (Figure 1). The starling would feed the woodpecker nestlings from outside the cavity, but other times, it would enter the cavity and stay inside for up to about 10 seconds presumably feeding the nestlings (S244156511, S244658893, S245176065,
S245017119).
During 4 hours of observations on 31 May 2025, no woodpeckers were seen
or heard while the starlings were feeding the nestlings, which appeared at the cavity en-
trance every 1-1.5 minutes and occasionally made several loud calls (S245176065).
The woodpeckers were not present at the cavity on 2 June and 4 June 2025; apparently by these dates the nestlings had fledged. However, two adult starlings left the cavity in consecutive order on the latter date.
THE MIGRANT
Interspecific feeding has been documented in 107 bird species worldwide (Shy 1982,
Harmáčková 2021). European Starlings have been observed feeding young of Downy
Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens), Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus), Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), and Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) (Prescott 1971, Qualls 1998, Burbridge 2018, Janus and Gow 2021); the s*x of the starlings in these studies was not mentioned. No previous observations have been reported for Pileated Woodpeckers, and thus, this is the first report for this species. Young of North American members of the Picidae have been fed by Gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio), Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli), and Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon), and by other members of the same family (Shy 1982, Harmáčková 2021). The cause(s) of this behavior are unknown, but it is generally associated with males attracted to the calls of nestlings in nearby nests of another species (Harmáčková 2021).
Robin Nation, Lebanon, Tennessee, [email protected]
Jane Powell, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, [email protected]
Jeffrey L. Walck, Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
[email protected]
LITERATURE CITED
Burbidge, G. 2018. European Starling pair feeds a juvenile Downy Woodpecker. Ontario
Birds 36:170-173.
Harmáčková, L. 2021. Interspecific feeding in birds: A short overview. Acta Ornithologi-
ca 56:1-14.
Janus, D and EA Gow. 2021. Interspecific parental care by a European Starling (Sturnus
vulgaris) at the nest of a Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus). The Wilson Journal of
Ornithology 133:348-354.
Prescott, KW. 1971. Unusual activity of starlings at Yellow-shafted Flicker nest. Wilson Bulletin 83:195-196.
Qualls, B. 1998. European Starling “helper” at late season Red-bellied Woodpecker
nest. Mississippi Kite 28:26-28.
Shy, MM. 1982. Interspecific feeding among birds: a review. Journal of Field Ornithology
53:370-393.
Www.tnbirds.org
