Predicting woodpecker damage in utility infrastructure in the southeastern United States using species distribution modeling

Abstract Predicting areas of wildlife damage to human development has the potential to reduce long‐term costs associated with protecting valuable infrastructure. Four of the 8 woodpecker species (Family: Picidae) in the southeastern United States have been documented damaging wooden utility systems. Previous studies have correlated woodpecker cavity excavation with the expedited deterioration of in‐service wooden utility units; however, no studies have associated environmental characteristics with woodpecker activity in areas of valuable utility infrastructure. We compiled occurrence data of structures replaced because of cavity excavation by woodpeckers from maintenance records of one public utility company (Tennessee Valley Authority [TVA]) and used a suite of environmental variables relevant to woodpecker ecology, and an assemblage of species distribution model methods to estimate the likelihood of woodpecker activity in a power transmission system. We estimated response to environmental gradients and generated predictive maps of each woodpecker species confirmed to damage wooden utility structures for the region (red‐headed woodpecker [ Melanerpes erythrocephalus ]; northern flicker [ Colaptes auratus ] and red‐bellied woodpecker [ Melanerpes carolinus ] combined; pileated woodpecker [ Dryocopus pileatus ]) and a global community model. Across the 4 models, average annual temperature, canopy cover percentage, and developed land cover were the most common variables for predicting the likelihood of woodpecker cavity excavation damage to wooden utility structures. These models provide geographic distributions of damage by woodpeckers and delineate areas of greater importance within the TVA system for steel infrastructure replacements and increased unit surveillance to increase system efficiency and safety for personnel.