Data from: A tropical paradise for all? Nest-site selection shifts by an endemic Neotropical woodpecker associated with human settlements

Human modification of forests is the main threat to woodpeckers due to
their ecological reliance on forest structure. However, little is known of
how woodpecker species respond to habitat modification and land-use change
in the Neotropics. In 2018, we determined nest-site selection by the
Mexican endemic Melanerpes chrysogenys (Golden-cheeked Woodpecker) in
protected old-growth tropical dry forest and in non-urban human
settlements to evaluate how land-use change may alter nest-site selection
by endemic species. We found that tree substrate and surrounding
vegetation differed between protected forest and human-modified areas, and
that M. chrysogenys varied nest-site selection criteria with land-use
change. In protected forest, woodpeckers selected tree substrate variables
of large, emergent, live Roseodendron donnell-smithii trees for nesting,
with surrounding vegetation according to resource availability in the
forest. However, in non-urban human settlements, M. chrysogenys used the
dominant Cocos nucifera palms as nesting substrate but selected palms in
surrounding vegetation with more large trees (>15 cm DBH), more
standing dead palms, and more vegetation cover above 2 m height. This
shift in nest-site selection criteria may enable M. chrysogenys to adapt
to modified environments, but the selection of surrounding vegetation
traits reflects reliance of the species on forest structure for potential
foraging resources. To maintain habitat conditions for endemic woodpecker
species in human-modified areas, we suggest increasing abundance of native
tree species in non-urban human settlements and developing management
guidelines for the maintenance of standing dead trees or palms with
appropriate human-safety guidelines. As woodpeckers are primary cavity
excavators that sustain complex nest-webs, these recommendations are
likely to benefit a variety of additional non-excavator species in
human-modified environments.