OBSERVE HOW THE EARTH IS CHANGING SPECIFICALLY WITH
RELATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE. ONE RESEARCHER DESCRIBED THIS I
SPOKE EARLIER TODAY WITH THE RESEARCHER AT BOSTON COLLEGE.
SHE STUDIES HOW CO2 MOVES FROM THE ATMOSPHERE INTO THE OCEANS
AND SHE DESCRIBED OUR SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING ABOUT ONE OF THOSE
TALL JINGO TOWERS AND SHE SAID THIS IS ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF
PULLING A TILE OUT OF THAT TOWER.
HERE IS HOW SHE PUT IT. >> WE DON'T KNOW WHICH PIECE OF
THAT JENGA TOWER IS GOING TO BE REALLY CRITICAL IN SEEING THE
CHANGES THAT ARE COMING IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO WE REALLY ARE AT A TIME THAT WE NEED MORE RATHER THAN
FEWER SENSORS OUT IN THE OCEAN. AND SO THIS IS REALLY GOING IN
THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR WHAT WE NEED AS A SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY
AND AS SOCIETY. AMNA: I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A
PARTICULARLY FROCK TIME RIGHT NOW TO BE CUTTING THIS RESEARCH
INTO OCEAN MONITORING. WHY?
WILLIAM: BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO ENORMOUSLY SIGNIFICANT
PHENOMENON HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, ONE IS IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN
CALLED A SUPER EL NIŅO, CHARACTERIZED BY INCREDIBLY WARM
OCEAN WATERS IN THE PACIFIC WHICH WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW.
A STRONG EL NIŅO CAN AFFECT WEATHER PATTERNS ALL OVER THE
WORLD. THIS IS NOW GEARING UP TO BE A
POTENTIALLY RECORD-BREAKING EL NIŅO.
THAT IS ONE EVENT IN THE PACIFIC.
SWITCHING ACROSS TO THE ATLANTIC IS A SECOND SYSTEM THAT GOES BY
THE ACRONYM KNOWN AS AMOKC. IT MOVES OCEAN CURRENTS ALL OVER
THE GLOBE PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC.
SOME RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN DETECTING A SIGNAL THAT WARMING
PARTICULARLY WARMING IN THE ARCTIC COULD BE DISRUPTING IT
AND EVEN OVERTURNING IT. AND IF THAT WERE TO ACTUALLY
HAPPEN, THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST GRAVE TURNING,
TIPPING POINTS SCIENTISTS FEAR COULD HAPPEN WITH REGARD TO
CLIMATE CHANGE. IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN THIS
WOULD CAST INCREDIBLY HARSH WINTERS OVER EUROPE AND SENT
MUCH MORE FIERCE HURRICANES TO THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED
STATES. MOST PROBLEMATICALLY IT COULD
SERIOUSLY DISTORT THE RAIN THAT FEEDS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN
AFRICA, IN ASIA, IN SOUTH AMERICA.
SO THE RESEARCHERS I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ARE ARGUING THIS IS
EXACTLY THE TIME THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE QUITE LITERALLY
TAKING YOUR EYES OFF THE OCEAN. AMNA: WILLIAM BRANGHAM, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LATEST THERE.
WILLIAM: THANK YOU. ?
GEOFF: TODAY, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SAID THE FIGHT
AGAINST EBOLA IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO IS QUOTE,
"CATCHING UP," WITH THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS. BUT HEALTH
OFFICIALS WARN THE CRISIS IS FAR FROM OVER.
MORE THAN 340 CASES HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED AND THE OUTBREAK HAS
CROSSED INTO NEIGHBORING UGANDA, WORSENING THE CHALLENGE OF
CONTAINING THE DEADLY DISEASE IN A REGION ALREADY RIDDLED WITH
CONFLICT, DISPLACEMENT, AND STRAINED HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS.
TO GET A VIEW FROM THE GROUND, WE TURN TO SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
CHRIS OCAMRINGA IN DRC'S CAPITAL KINSHASA. AND TO GIVE YOU A
SENSE OF SCALE AND OF THE CHALLENGES MOVING ABOUT THE DRC,
KINSHASA IS ABOUT 950 MILES FROM THE EPICENTER OF THE OUTBREAK IN
COUNTRY'S NORTHEAST. THAT'S ROUGHLY THE SAME DISTANCE
BETWEEN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI AND WASHINGTON, D.C.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. BRING US UP TO SPEED.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE SCOPE OF THE OUTBREAK RIGHT NOW AND
HOW CONCERNED HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE ABOUT IT?
CHRIS: HEALTH OFFICIALS IN THE DRC ARE STRUGGLING TO CONTAIN
THIS OUTBREAK THAT HAS SPREAD RAPIDLY SINCE IT TOOK PLACE MAY
15. THERE ARE ONLY THREE AREAS THAT
REGISTERED CASES. BUT NOW THERE ARE MORE THAN 30
HEALTH ZONES THAT HAVE PORTED CASES.
WE ARE TOLD THERE ARE 60 PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED AND 344 OTHERS WHO
HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH THIS DISEASE.
LAST WEEK MANY HEALTH FACILITIES WERE OVERWHELMED BY THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE WHO WERE BROUGHT IN WITH SUSPECTED CASES AND THEY
HAD TO TURN A RATE -- TURN AWAY SOME PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T
HAVE ENOUGH BEDS. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CAME
TO THE RESCUE OF AUTHORITIES IN THE DRC, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
HAVE BEEN RAISED. MEDICAL SUPPLIES HAVE BEEN
AIRLIFTED, THE EPICENTER OF THE OUTBREAK.
PEOPLE HAVE SET UP A NEW TREATMENT CENTERS AND THEY ARE
TRYING TO SCALE UP THEIR RESPONSE TO THIS OUTBREAK BEFORE
IT CLAIMS MORE LIVES. GEOFF: SETTING UP THESE NEW
TREATMENT CENTERS IS IN AWAY RACE AGAINST TIME.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES HEALTH WORKERS FACE IN
IDENTIFYING CASES AND TRACING CON SACKEDS AND --CONTACTS AND
TRANSMISSIONS? CHRIS: ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS
IS THIS HAS OCCURRED IN AN ACTIVE COMBAT ZONE.
THERE ARE REBELS IN THAT AREA. GROUPS HAVE BEEN ATTACKING
CIVILIANS FORCING THEM TO FLEE TO CROWDED CAMPS WHERE PEOPLE
ARE CRAMPED TOGETHER. THEY CANNOT KEEP THE SOCIAL
DISTANCE AND THAT IS A FERTILE AREA FOR THE SPREAD OF
INFECTIOUS DISEASES. HEALTH WORKERS ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT THE CONTINUOUS VIOLENCE IN THE EAST AND THE NORTHEAST OF
DRC WHERE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REBEL GROUPS.
THIS OUTBREAK HAS BEEN RECORDED IN THE EASTERN PART WHERE THERE
ARE REBELS WHO ARE CONTROLLING LARGE SECTIONS OF THAT AREA SO
IT IS DIFFICULT TO CARRY OUT CONTACT TRACING WHICH IS A VERY
IMPORTANT EFFORT ABOUT CONTAINING THIS PEOPLE OUTBREAK.
IT IS ABOUT TRACKING PEOPLE WHO CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THOSE WHO
HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED TO HAVE EBOLA AND IT MEANS MOVING FROM
ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER. THAT CAN ONLY BE DONE WHEN THERE
IS PEACE IN THAT AREA. SO THE DRC GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN
APPEALING TO ALL THE WARRING PARTIES, THE MILITIA GROUPS IN
THAT AREA TO CEASE FIRE SO THAT HEALTH WORKERS CAN BE ABLE TO
REACH OUT TO THESE PATIENTS AND PROVIDE TREATMENT SO THAT THIS
DISEASE DOES NOT SPREAD FURTHER. GEOFF: WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF
HAVING YOU ON THE GROUND TONIGHT DOING THIS REPORTING.
BEYOND THE MEDICAL TOLL, HOW IS THIS OUTBREAK ADDRESSING THOSE
AT THE CENTER OF IT? CHRIS: IT HAS REALLY DISRUPTED
THE DAILY LIVES OF THE PEOPLE. THIS AREA IS A REGION THAT
BORDERS TO COUNTRIES, SOUTH SUDAN AND UGANDA.
THOSE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA DON'T HAVE VERY MANY FORMAL JOBS SO
THEY ENGAGE IN TRADE SO THERE WAS A LOT OF CROSS-BORDER TRADE
BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF THESE THREE COUNTRIES, THE DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF CONGO, PEOPLE KEEP TRAVELING TO UGANDA AND SOUTH
SUDAN AND NOW THAT THIS OUTBREAK HAS REALLY SPREAD, UGANDA HAS
SHUT ITS BORDER WITH THE DRC AND THEY HAVE ALSO, SOUTH SUDAN IS
ALSO CLOSELY MONITORING THE DEVELOPMENTS HERE, SO MANY
PEOPLE HAVE REALLY BEEN HIT HARD BY THIS DEVELOPMENT.
THEY CANNOT MAKE ANY MONEY IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
HAS ALWAYS BEEN APPEALING TO COUNTRIES NOT TO CLOSE THEIR
BORDERS. THEY ARE SAYING THAT IS AN ISSUE
THAT WILL REALLY DISRUPT THE LIVELIHOODS OF VERY MANY PEOPLE
THAT WHAT THEY SHOULD DO A STEP UP SCREENING AT THE BORDER
CROSSINGS AND ALSO SURVEILLANCE SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP THESE
SUSPECTED CASES. BUT EVERY COUNTRY HAS ITS OWN
DECISION. IT'S A SOVEREIGN DECISION ABOUT
HOW THEY WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS OUTBREAK, SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE
DRC HAVE REALLY BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS EBOLA OUTBREAK.
GEOFF: OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT IN THE DRC REPORTING FROM
KINSHASA TONIGHT. THANK YOU.
? AND WE'LL BE BACK SHORTLY TO
HEAR FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR'S HIGH PROFILE COMMENCEMENT
SPEAKERS. AMNA: BUT FIRST, TAKE A MOMENT
TO HEAR FROM YOUR LOCAL PBS STATION.
>> Hi, I'm James Steinbach.
Wisconsin. We're justat PBS
the news hour. And, youom
one thing to say. The news
it is, in my opinion, and I,
source for informationt
the world. And there's a
And for a lot of a lot of.
to understand. It's hard to
of the things that areome
complex. And what I love
I can sit down with it andt
shouting and nobody'ss
trying to convince me of
information that I canng me
Talk about with my friends
me something to count onves
feel the same way. And this
news hour. So all week long,
pledge, is going to be new
your pledge for themake
now, 1-800-236-3636.ight
here at the PBS Wisconsin
call with your pledge of to
You know, it's you who make.
see the NewsHour. So wet to
thank you gifts when you
a sustainer at $12 a month,
love to call it left handed
And it's PBS news and the.
$15 a month, we havel it
Don't be caught in the rain.
It's actually a Bill ofa.
the Bill of rights and of
amendments. And this is a
Archives on it. You can
rain won't bother me. I've
protecting me. Love that at
the NewsHour mug and theh
your opportunity. Give us a
start the whole membership
>> Thank you. Linda. I'm
friends of PBS Wisconsin.f
say thank you when you call
week for PBS NewsHour. I
we can say thank you isays
of the members, new members,
their giving during the
federal funding cut. Thank
NewsHour. You spoke out for
Wisconsin in ourf PBS
funding cut wasn't justal
year and next year and the
the time to call and renews
support. Consider making ar
else. It's a great timeeone
for this entire week during
started by callingcan get
>> I love the fact that
handed. You know, I didn't
Linda pointed out to me. So
balanced, right? Just just
you go. So yeah, I thought
because I looked at the mug
sense because the NewsHour
in TV, any place, any place
source that more peoplee
anything else. And thean
obvious. It's because it's
reliable news that you can
I may not get everythingell,
but I know that if I go to
to have a betterll be able
happening in the world. And
I think that's one of theut
we can do here at PBS that
program. So call us during
this challenge break oneg
>> And we can't help
challenge week. It's as a
members who've alreadyave
when new members call inid
we're going to double it.
Remember, you can alwaystch.
and get these wonderfulo
$12 a month the PBS news a
handed right handed mugft
morning coffee or yourr
evening tea or hotor your
$15 a month, we have theAt
it does actually move downd
have to carry the wholen't
head all the time. You do
at $25 a month, you have to
well as the umbrella. But
sponsor. You're our sponsor.
and inform you. And that's
NewsHour. So if you want,
pbswisconsin.org or give us
>> It's great to hear the36.
Please keep those callsyou.
to support news andr chance
If you rely upon thesconsin.
you. It's your chance toon
matters to me, and I want
that it keeps coming, that
accountable to you. We're
else. We're accountable to
responsibility to have. It
the balance of the newsity,
way we can rely upon you is
So that just means you're.
payment. It lasts as long
set the amount real easy to
our call receivers here in
call. We just need a little
takes a few minutes to sety
us. We can rely upon youror
allows us to plan ahead for
your part month after month.
Your membership staysyou.
benefits of membership is
get "Airwaves" magazine inl
look at the program guide
things you might want to
linear television, findng
more about what's happening
challenge call. Now thata
number is 1-800-236-3636.GEOFF: OVER THE PAST MONTH, COLLEGE SENIORS HAVE BEEN
DONNING THEIR CAPS AND GOWNS TO MARK THE END OF ONE CHAPTER IN
THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER. THEY'RE FACING A DAUNTING
FUTURE, ENTERING A RAPIDLY TRANSFORMING JOB MARKET THANKS
TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, GLOBAL UNREST AND A HOST OF
OTHER FACTORS. AMNA: IT WAS AGAINST THIS
BACKDROP, THAT GRADUATION SPEAKERS TOOK TO THE STAGE TO
PROVIDE THEIR BEST ADVICE WITH HONESTY, PASSION AND HUMILITY.
HERE NOW ARE SOME NOTABLE SPEECHES THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE
MISSED. >> I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT I
WOULD SAY TO YOU TODAY. WHAT ADVICE I WOULD GIVE YOU IN
TERMS OF LIFE ADVICE, CAREER ADVICE, WHAT I WOULD SAY TO
MYSELF IF I WERE YOUR AGE OR IF IT WERE MY SON GRADUATING AND I
WOULD PROBABLY TELL YOU IT IS SCARY OUT THERE.
[LAUGHTER] >> OVERCOMING FEAR AND DOUBT IN
THE FACE OF THOSE CHALLENGES IS WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO GAIN THE
CONFIDENCE TO MAKE YOUR BEST CHOICES WHEN THINGS ARE NOT
GOING THE WAY YOU WANT. YOU MAY ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO
IMPRESS YOUR BOSS ORLANDO PROMOTION.
OR TO CLOSE A DEAL OR NOT. SO WHAT THEN?
YOU BETTER HAVE PREPARED YOURSELF IN ADVANCE TO DEAL WITH
THE ADVERSITY YOU ARE GOING TO FACE IN ORDER TO GIVE YOURSELF
THE BEST CHANCE TO SUCCEED. >> YOUR TRIP IS NOT SOMEBODY
ELSE'S TRIP. DON'T WORRY IF THEY GET PROMOTED
BEFORE YOU OR IF THEY GET A HOUSE FIRST, YOU RUN YOUR RACE,
OK? ALL OF MY BLESSINGS HAPPENED
AFTER 50. I KNOW IT SOUNDS WEIRD.
ALL OF THEM. I GOT THE JOB OF MY DREAMS AT
THE TODAY SHOW, I GOT THE FAMILY I'VE DREAMT OF, I HAVE TWO KIDS
NOW, YOUR BLESSINGS COME WHEN THEY, AND THEY COME RIGHT ON
TIME. >> YOUR GENERATION FACES A
TEMPTATION NO GENERATION BEFORE HAS EVER FACED, THAT'S HIM
TATIAN TO PERFORM FOR EVERYONE AND BELONG TO NO ONE.
TO BE GLOBALLY VISIBLE AND LOCALLY INVISIBLE TO HAVE
THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS AND HAVE NO ONE KNOW WHERE YOU ACTUALLY
LIVE. RESIST THIS, PLANT YOURSELF
SOMEWHERE. PUT DOWN ROOTS SOMEWHERE TO GROW
THERE. >> REDIRECTING YOUR ENERGY
SOMEWHERE MEANS PRINTING -- SPRINTING IN ANOTHER, THE KEY
WAS CHOOSING WHERE MY ENERGY WENT INSTEAD OF LETTING OTHERS
CHOOSE FOR ME. A WONDERFUL PART OF GIVING
YOURSELF THAT SPACES YOU CAN LOOK BACK AND SEE THE DISTANCE
YOU HAVE TRAVELED. >> SUCCESS IS BUILDING A
COMMUNITY AND KEEPING THAT COMMUNITY CLOSE, CHERISH YOUR
COMMUNITY. IT WILL BECOME THE FABRIC OF
YOUR LIFE. NURTURE YOUR FRIENDS AND
ACQUAINTANCES, STAY IN TOUCH. REACH OUT, CHECK IN, BE THE
PERSON THAT IS THERE FOR OTHERS. SHOW UP.
>> I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT COMMUNITY, SPONTANEITY, AND A
REAL COMMITMENT TO HUMILITY HAS HELPED ME BUILD A RICH LIFE THAT
MEANS MUCH MORE TO ME THAN ANY DIPLOMA.
AND BELIEVE ME, I'M NOT SAYING THE GOAL IS TO RENOUNCE
ACCOMPLISHMENTS. BUT RATHER TO METABOLIZE THEM.
IF YOU CARRY YOUR VICTORIES LIGHTLY, OTHER QUALITIES,
KINDNESS, ORIGINALITY, COURAGE, HUMOR, AND HUMANITY HAVE ROOM TO
EMERGE. GEOFF: ALL GOOD ADVICE.
THAT IS THE NEWS HOUR FOR TONIGHT.
I'M GEOFF BENNETT. AMNA: AND I'M AMNA NAWAZ.
ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE "NEWS HOUR" TEAM, THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US. ?
>> MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE "PBS NEWS HOUR" HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY
-- ?
FRIENDS OF THE "NEWS HOUR." INCLUDING JIM AND NANCY BILDNER
AND THE ROBERT AND VIRGINIA SHILLER FOUNDATION.
? >> THE WALTON FAMILY FOUNDATION.
WORKING FOR SOLUTIONS TO PROTECT WATER DURING CLIMATE CHANGE, SO
PEOPLE AND NATURE CAN THRIVE TOGETHER.
? >> SUPPORTED BY THE THE JOHN D.
AND CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION.
COMMITTED TO BUILDING A MORE JUST, VERDANT, AND PEACEFUL
WORLD. MORE INFORMATION AT
MACFOUND.ORG. ?
>> AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AND
INSTITUTIONS. ?
?
>> THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO
YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
THANK YOU. >> THE GLOBAL ORDER AS WE KNOW
IT IS CHANGING RAPIDLY. >> THIS IS HAVING A BIG IMPACT
ON THE ENTIRE REGION AND IRAN INTENDS TO SHARE THE PAIN WITH
THEIR NEIGHBORS. >> WHY DO YOU THINK PUTIN IS
LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT? >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SHEER
NUMBERS ALONE, BETWEEN 1.2 MILLION AND 1.4 MILLION
CASUALTIES. HE IS NOT WINNING.
>> HERE ON COMPASS POINTS WE WILL HELP UNDERSTAND A CRITICAL
ISSUE AND HOW IT AFFECTS YOU. >> COMPASS POINTS, WEEKENDS ON
PBS AND STREAMING. ?
>> YOU ARE WATCHING PBS.
- Announcer: PBS Wisconsin Education
leverages the power of public media
to spark curiosity and ignite learning
in Pre-K settings through 12th grade.
PBS KIDS content and activities
enhance school readiness and support children
to reach their full potential in school and in life.
Our award-winning educational media
for elementary through high school
is aligned to state standards, and our locally-produced content
is designed for and with Wisconsin educators.
Pbswisconsineducation.org.
?
GIAMATTI: If your neighbor is a woodpecker, you'll know it.
[ Tapping ]
?
Woodpeckers like to make noise.
It's how they claim a territory and show off for mates.
But with heads like hammers and bills like chisels,
they do much more than sound off.
Drumming is their song...
drilling is how they find food...
and highly skilled carpentry
is how they craft their remarkable homes.
?
These holes in trees, in many shapes and sizes,
make woodpeckers important to everyone in the forest.
[ Birds chirping ]
They are architects, engineers, and consummate woodworkers,
and this is their "hole" story.
?
"Nature" is made possible in part by...
...committed to bridging cultural differences
in our communities.
"Nature" is also made possible by...
...and by contributions to your PBS station
from viewers like you.
[ Birds chirping ]
GIAMATTI: Among all the morning voices in a forest,
there is one unmistakable sound.
[ Tapping ]
It's not made by a voice at all.
[ Tapping continues ]
It's a moment of percussion on a wooden instrument.
?
It's the signature sound of a woodpecker.
?
Woodpeckers don't sing.
They drum.
And they drum in every kind of forest,
almost everywhere in the world.
?
They're at home in trees throughout North
and South America,
across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
the current count is 239 species in all.
?
The Pileated woodpecker is a master of this world of wood
and striking in every respect.
He's one of the largest forest birds in North America.
His name comes from the bright red crest across his pileum --
the top of his head from beak to nape.
He drums to announce himself.
Banging your head into a tree has always seemed reckless,
but woodpeckers suffer no brain damage.
His head and bill can act like a hammer
because his brain is small enough to sustain
repeated shocks without injury.
But he does take safety precautions with his eyes.
An extra eyelid closes at the moment of every impact.
[ Distant tapping ]
The Pileated slams hard into the decaying wood
of a dead tree.
He pounds with intent,
then pauses to listen.
He's hunting!
?
His favorite quarry is deep in the rotten wood.
He drills again...
and listens again.
?
Inside the tree, carpenter ants are frantic.
It's a large colony that has made a home
in what must have felt like a very safe place.
?
They moved in when the tree was already dead or dying,
its inner layers soft and decaying.
They've chewed extensive galleries
with passages and chambers where they are nurturing their young.
Now, a monster is looming.
A 19-inch killer dinosaur is at the door!
He can hear the ants scurrying in panic.
?
The Pileated redoubles his efforts,
using his massive beak to rip into the wood.
?
He carves out an enormous oblong opening.
?
Inside, the ants are deploying their best defense.
They've laid down formic acid to deter their predator's attack.
But the woodpecker seems immune...
licking the wood as he gets closer
and closer to the colony...
tasting their chemical deterrent with no ill effect.
?
Inevitably, the determined Pileated prevails.
The ant nest is breached,
and the woodpecker begins to feast.
Trees can't hide their secrets from him.
It's as if he can see what's happening inside them.
Perhaps that's no wonder.
Trees have been his world for a very long time.
?
We know that woodpeckers come from an ancient lineage
that separated from other birds some 24 million years ago.
And they are different in so many ways.
[ Tapping ]
Woodpeckers are all about trees.
Even in the air.
[ Squawking ]
Their flight has an undulating pattern.
A few wingbeats are followed by a tucked in glide --
a way of navigating through the branches.
?
They are not long-distance travelers.
They typically fly from tree to tree...
and come in for vertical landings.
?
With large, impressively clawed feet,
they move across a tree trunk like rock climbers
on walls of bark.
?
They can even go exploring upside down.
?
Their short legs are strong and work together
with stiff specialized tail feathers
to support their weight against the tree.
This tripod provides
the leverage they need to work the wood.
?
What began as a way to find food...
[ Tapping ]
...developed into a way to communicate.
And so they "talk" to each other by drumming.
Each species taps out its own rhythm,
to stake out a territory...
and call for a mate.
?
[ Tapping ]
?
When nesting season arrives, they carve deep into trees,
hollowing out a family stronghold.
These holes are the woodpeckers' universal trademark.
No matter where they live, every woodpecker of every kind
makes a hole for a home.
[ Chirping ]
It's a feature that unites the family,
and it's what makes them such significant citizens
of the forest.
[ Chirping ]
In the dark forests of Poland, in Stolowe National Park,
wild and eerie calls inhabit the woods.
[ Bird calls ]
[ Tapping ]
They belong to a pair of rarely filmed Black woodpeckers
calling to each other through the trees.
[ Calling ]
They are large, imposing birds,
jet black with a splash of red on their crowns.
?
[ Woodpecker calls ]
These two have made a home in a beech tree
and are raising a family 80 feet up in the air.
They dote on their three little chicks only eight days old.
The nest hole is surprisingly deep.
The adults have chiseled down 15 inches into the tree,
painstakingly removing all the debris,
except for a layer of wood chips
that line the bottom of the hole.
At first, the little woodies nap a lot,
securely tucked away in their dark wooden womb.
[ Chicks chirping ]
But, soon, all the chicks are crying, all of the time...
...not the least interested in concealing their presence.
The nest is so high, it's almost predator proof.
?
Their father, in his full red cap...
?
...and their mother in her smaller one...
ply back and forth with food...
while the chicks grow and grow.
?
With daylight approaching 17 hours at the height of June,
there's no rest for the weary.
Their forest is not the ancient world
Black woodpeckers used to know.
Most of these trees are young, less than a century old.
But they're regaining old ground,
and woodpeckers are an important part of their comeback story.
The female is searching for her favorite meal -- carpenter ants.
Her handiwork is easy to find in the forest.
Her old nest holes from previous years,
even her winter roosting holes,
are bringing other creatures back into this forest.
She's helping Eurasian Red squirrels...
Great tits...
and Boreal owls find homes here, too,
where they can raise their own young.
?
Her life's work is to make her world more diverse,
more complex, more like it used to be.
[ Chicks chirping ]
Back in the nest,
the chicks are beginning to look like real woodpeckers.
From the red feathers sprouting on their own little crowns,
it appears they are two females and one male.
?
Their childhoods are brief.
Soon, they will fly from this lofty hole...
and three more Black woodpeckers
will carry on their important work...
making everything new old again.
?
Wisconsin. We're taking aBS
remarkable show. I mean,uly
woodpecker is going to get
happen. You know what'sto
end, it all works out forhe
the ants, but for the for
at the photography on that,
thinking about the're not
thinking about what you're
dramatic thing that's
for a moment about thethink
extraordinary, the quality
the work that goes intoy of
It's just something that I
nature photographers, these
They're out there in all
kinds of places to getll
video that you don't evennd
it because it's that good.
nature is that show. So
>> Hi, I'm Linda Berman, a
Wisconsin, and this is a
look at these woodpeckers
just going crazy with the
identify what what did Io
that the male is that the
saw for you. When you call
the $12 level, $12 a month
the opportunity to get this
looking at it. This is the
Bird Collective tote, and
really great pictures of
importantly, you can use
birding stuff in. You have
or these flash cards. Now,t
just for school. These aret
the the Sibley Backyardm
only a checklist that goes
to the yellow rumpedecker
of the males and theictures
and of the woodpeckersls
you can check it off ando
$12 a month, $20 a month.
binoculars, which I can see
everybody. They'ree
knocks, knocks. They're
lightweight, perfect asy
Because I know the most.
a bird and you go, what is
really see it and identify
all of it. You get the tote,
binoculars and the field
thing is you're pledgingt
Wisconsin. Easy to do. You
pbswisconsin.org or give us
here in the studio waiting
(800) 236-3636.at one
I'm director of friends of
nature is one of those
on to see what's on, I just
thing. Like James washole
fascinating programs.are
by experts. That takes ade
these programs, the thee of
they're in the field forrs,
time for public television.
that certainty that we need
programs like this. That
become our newest sustainer
Becoming a sustainer means
monthly ongoing gift. It's
deducted from your checking
card, as long as you wantit
have the certainty to bring
We're turning to you for
Wisconsin for wonder, for
that QR code on your screen
pbswisconsin.org. Or please
one (800) 236-3636.t now at
love looking at it that way.
for wonder and for joy. And
gift. It's something which
people around the state.th
a difference to you. Youkes
a lot of viewers, thatwers,
their favorite programs on
that that maybe they'll sit
of sitting down with, with
this program together.ing
it, this is a terrific way
way beyond what they'rerlds
Always good to get out with
walking in the woods, for
every part of the countryo
And here with PBS Wisconsin,
that. We can bring you to
impossible to get toly
that you would never sees
about this program. I think
call us now atportant. So
>> And I agree with both
you start watching nature,
Even if you're justing.
like, wow, that's reallyt's
takes you to places you'dit
birds. And as we've just
photography is fantastic.
of PBS Wisconsin cane part
and inform you. And that's
story, whole story aboutole
great. You see nature at
and pledge your support, we
thank you gifts. At $12 a
have the opportunity to get
from the Woodpecker North
the collective excuse me,nd
these flash cards are great.
of do you see this, I seeme
get of these birds? Because
live. It tells their mating
what they sound like, and
you might be able to seehat
wonderful Knokke binoculars,
They're waterproof. They're
need outside, as well asyou
North America guide. Andf
laminated sheet to take
backpack, stick in your
the Bird Collective so you
month. You've gotat $30 a
tote bag, you get the flash
binoculars and the field
you are realizing that youy,
Wisconsin. That's why we're
you to join us now, newing
these wonderful thank you
membership and get theour
most importantly, be ourBut
give us a call at one. Just
>> Linda, just let you know
can say thank you to youe
of support during thisdge
there are more membert
call, when you use that QRt
online at pbswisconsin.org.
benefits, in addition to
doing your part, like're
Wisconsin, every time youBS
to yourself, I'm helpingay
member benefit Passportther
information, moreore
more or Passport deepoy,
shows. There are so many
rich archive of additional
tuning in to PBS Wisconsin
evening, think abouthe
increasing your membership
that Passport benefit so
of nature and you want toe
will let you do that andort
many great dramas. Itws, so
becoming our newest member
adding to your gift. And or
1-800-236-3636.er is
true that every time, every
when you're a member,ram,
possible. It's a directram
these programs because of
you're not able to, to, to
there are times in our And
make these choices, can't
think when you are able to
actually is paying for in a
able to do it. So maybet
starting out with theirjust
having some hard times, but
here for everyone. Yourill
your support is essential.
people have, have, have
challenging times that have
federal funding. But so
forward and said, this is
lose. This is too important
makes it so that theat
the programs are here. Wend
always be here becausel
Wisconsin is something that
Call us now 1-800-236-3636.
support for nature and all
the programs you love.3636.
When the year turns
and the New England woods are cold and snowy...
[ Tapping ]
...the Pileated remains in his forest.
He continues his search for ants and larvae,
even when they've gone dormant and are no longer moving.
A dead tree is an almost constant source of insects
that he can mine all through the winter.
?
In the very same forest,
among the smallest of his cousins
are also making their way through the season.
The diminutive Downy woodpecker is named
for the soft white feathers that keep them warm.
Their black and white suits, with a dash of red for the male,
are a miniature variation of the bold Pileated's,
and offer them a way of blending into the trees.
?
Downies search for insects
that winter just beneath the bark.
They often join small mixed bands of chickadees...
white-breasted nuthatches...
and tufted titmice.
?
Several little birds may even roost together overnight
if the weather is severe.
?
But as winter thaws and spring arrives,
the camaraderie turns to competition.
They all want nests in tree cavities,
and a woodpecker hole would do nicely.
The little Downies are highly skilled carpenters
and build a new nest every year.
No small bird needing a home can resist a look inside.
A chickadee can excavate its own nest in rotten wood,
but a finished Downy nest would be so much easier.
A white-breasted nuthatch wants a simple renovation,
something it doesn't have to build from scratch.
A little titmouse can't drill into wood at all.
It needs an empty nest hole that's move-in ready.
[ Chirping ]
A lucky house wren has already laid claim to an empty hole
and is bringing in her own nesting materials.
?
And a family of tree swallows has commandeered another.
The female has lined the hole with feathers and pine boughs.
?
All these little birds know a woodpecker hole is
the safest place in the forest to raise their chicks.
[ Chirping ]
As spring reaches north into the woods of Maine,
a Ruby-throated hummingbird zings into the scene
with a flash of green and red.
He's come all the way from the tropics of Central America,
nectaring on flowers as they bloom along his route.
It's early May, and here in the north woods,
flowers are still few and far between.
He's pushing the limits of his ability to refuel.
But he's got a brilliant backup plan.
[ Tapping ]
He's timed his migration to meet the return
of a particular woodpecker --
the Yellow-bellied sapsucker.
Sapsuckers are one of the few woodpeckers to migrate,
coming back to the north just as the trees are waking up.
They return to the same trees year after year.
Birches are among their favorites.
They tap into different streams of the tree's plumbing
according to the type of sap they seek.
The first holes in early spring intercept the sap
coming up from the roots into the wood.
These holes are small, round, and deep.
Immediately, sap wells up in the wounds and spills over.
This is called birch water.
It's thin but full of minerals and hormones.
The tree works to stem the flow and seal the wound.
So the birds tap to the left
and tap to the right,
moving around the trunk.
As spring unfolds, sapsuckers switch
to a living layer of inner bark
that sends all the nutrients made
by the leaves down to the tree's roots.
?
This sap is loaded with sucrose,
and sapsuckers can't resist the sugary syrup.
These shallow holes are large and square
and contribute to a conspicuous pattern that moves up the tree.
?
A well-worked sapsucker tree stands out like a beacon
to the little Ruby-throated hummingbird.
He plans to claim it as his territory,
just in time to impress an arriving female.
She's so eager for birch syrup, she can already taste it.
But...
she's going to have to wait her turn.
?
Hummers live so close to the edge,
they fiercely defend every source of food they have.
Even when it's an entire tree!
?
Even the little male, who was here first,
is given a hard time.
?
Insects, too, love the tree's sweet, sticky flow.
But for them, it's a honey trap.
Ingenious sapsuckers don't need to drill into wood
for beetles and grubs.
Sap does the catching for them.
?
And even bees taste better...
dipped in sugar.
It may take years, but inevitably,
the sapsuckers' holes gird the birch completely.
Nutrients from the leaves can no longer reach the roots,
and the tree finally dies.
But death is not the end of a tree's story.
Now it becomes food and shelter for a host of new creatures,
chief among them the horned passalus,
also known as the patent-leather beetle.
?
This large black beetle finds the perfect home
inside dead deciduous trees,
with protection from wild swings in the weather...
and with all the wood it can eat.
Its larvae will develop here, too,
gradually gaining a taste for wood.
The beetles need dead trees to survive...
and beetles help keep the forest system
humming by nourishing so many birds and mammals.
But the forest has many partners,
and the greatest may be these remarkable beings.
Fungi.
?
Fungi bear "fruit" that carry their seed-like spores.
We know them as mushrooms.
?
Neither plants nor animals,
fungi recycle all the components of the forest,
spreading filaments underground in an organic internet.
?
They break down fallen wood
and send its nutrients far and wide...
...to be reincarnated into living trees.
But while they're still standing,
dead trees are essential architecture just as they are.
[ Tapping ]
?
Year after year, a small Hairy woodpecker
makes nest holes in a flooded stand
at the edge of a beaver pond.
?
A dead tree with last year's hole
is exactly the home Eastern bluebirds
need to raise their own family.
?
As they feed their chicks, the bluebirds have no idea
how deeply connected everything in their forest is.
All the bluebirds know is that the nest is precious...
and they fiercely defend it...
even from the little woodpecker who made it.
?
The value of trees to woodpeckers
rises to a dramatic crescendo
in central California's Carmel Valley.
It's a story that unfolds across a sweeping savanna
of oaks and golden grasses.
These gnarled old oaks have stood their ground
for some 500 years.
Their wide-reaching branches are festooned with lace lichen,
and their bark is so thick and corrugated,
they have weathered almost every challenge for centuries.
But a closer look reveals something astonishing.
?
Acorns, by the tens of thousands,
are tattooed into every nook and cranny.
?
Acorns don't grow this way.
Someone has hammered each one into the bark.
[ Squawking ]
That someone is actually a band of little round-eyed,
clown-faced, Acorn woodpeckers.
?
They live in highly structured families of a dozen or so,
each family claiming some 15 acres of oaks
and open country.
The trees are their prized possessions.
Because every autumn, they produce a windfall.
?
Thousands upon thousands of nutritious acorns.
?
The acorns are woodpecker gold --
high in vitamins, minerals, fats, and protein.
Collecting them is the woodpeckers' obsession.
?
The acorns are ferried back up to the tree
and packed into small holes pecked out for the purpose.
?
This turns the acorns into treasure --
a seasonal abundance that can be made to last.
When other foods are scarce, acorns will be here -
safe in their shells and ready to eat.
This is prosperity for the family,
a true measure of wealth.
But wealth, it turns out, is a whole lot of work.
?
Now they constantly test and turn the acorns
as they dry and shrink,
to make sure each one is still snug in its hole.
?
If the hole seems too big...
...they look for a better fit,
tapping the acorn back in tight.
It's a process fraught with difficult decisions.
?
And an acorn dropped
could be lost forever.
Every member of the family serves on acorn security duty.
?
A ground squirrel boldly climbs the oak
only to find the entire tree is woodpecker property.
[ Woodpeckers squawking ]
?
Any outsider, whether furry or feathered,
is swiftly dispatched.
What worries the family most are raiding parties
of competing Acorn woodpeckers.
All across the valley,
groups keep an eye on each other's holdings,
waiting for an opening to take them over.
?
Woodpecker spies are everywhere,
and though they all look alike to us,
the home team always knows who doesn't belong.
[ Squawking ]
?
I'm a volunteer here at PBS
a quick break from thisking
know, and I was thinkingYou
watch nature a lot and say
member yet. I think that
you to become a member ofor
a challenge break. Soe it's
PBS Wisconsin have setPBS,
will match your gift dollar
time to call and say, yep,
while and now it's my turn.
saying I'm going tong of
great it's a gift,eally a
but it's also a real act of,
about it, because public
us. It's for you. For me,f
your gift, your support
break especially, is what
it possible. So call us now
>> Hi, I'm Linda Berman,
PBS Wisconsin, and thist
call, especially with the
what you pledge tonighteans
Wisconsin. So let me tell
you. Besides the quality
you enjoy, if you pledge as
you get this incrediblenth,
happens to just have thes
America. And this is from
really is a really gusseted,
backpack tote for you, but
You can either get that or
these are the Sibley flash
different birds here. You
morning, drink your coffee,
red bellied woodpecker, the
pileated woodpecker, the
would like. You can findou
these wonderful binoculars.
binoculars. They're fog
And you get with it theof.
out looking for those birds,
this laminated field guide.
calling up because they say,
all $30 a month. You get
and the flash cards andote
set, as well as the field
you are contributing to PBS,
can use the QR code on your
at pbswisconsin.org or you
volunteers are sitting here
1-800-236-3636.n Studios at
I'm director of friends of
number 1-800-236-3636. It's
a challenge break just like
Thanks to current members
take you over the edge, to
that new sustainer, that
available to you when you
Nature's been around for 44
of awards. Why? Becausereds
go to the trouble to They
their craft. Use science to
just aren't going to getou
they'll take us, places we
But it's also because of
members, our sustainers,
This is a complicatedssible.
gift to support PBSyour
bring all of us wonderfulp
you're enjoying this. If
you to make that call.g on
Become a new member,er.
QR code, go online tose the
give us a call during thise
1-800-236-3636.
of the most important one
you know, kids. We all and
the sky blue? You know, how
are the kinds of thingse
it's not that we lose thatd
there's so much going on in
always sustain it the way
things that's reallyhe
Wisconsin is that I think
curiosity and satisfy that
really encourage you fromys,
out and see things for go
and see whether it's birds
watching other people,
it's something that you can
think, because of theart, I
Wisconsin, this program,
of that. And during thise
great time for you to make
making a pledge to PBSy
1-800-236-3636. us at
We challenge you to go tou.
give us a call and either
you haven't quite yetecause
your membership. You can
somebody else. The most
becoming our sponsor andre
want to say thank you, we
you're expecting quality
have the opportunity saying,
$12 a month, you can always
for these. But $12 a month,
get this really cute toteto
your birding things orof
you want there, or theelse
the flash cards come with a
get from the American coot
how many you can remembere
month, you have the$20 a
really wonderful binoculars.
mean, I'm impressed because
are so heavy that youhat
them. And these are great.
waterproof in case you get
you're caught in the say
comes the field guide,t
because it's laminated and
good description and tellsd
different birds, thend the
you can get all of this,,
bag, and you can get thete
binoculars and the fieldthe
saying thank you. We have
said, I just want to give
you use it. That'so you and
want to say we're giving
say thank you. But remember,
call us at 1-800-236-3636.n
volunteers here.erful
this fantastic show, weof
the forest is. Well, thised
bringing you a service.'re
additional services,
systems and education work.
the broadcast, but it'syond
because without youru
valuing this service, that
the service isn't as good.
of supporters, become a new
sustainer. Being aew
you're making a monthly
for you. It's automatic,
and we're connected to the
bring you this greatell to
we can say thank you ands
all these ways. We're on is
ago, but Airways Magazine,
a great way to stay inuide,
you from PBS Wisconsin ando
the scenes. It's all part
part of connection. Please
challenge break It's a
>> Or if you want to do
>> You know, Eric mentioned
sort of it's it's built is
Wisconsin Publice at PBS
service to provide farm
farmers. That's what wes to
invented in Wisconsin. You
know that, but PBS not PBS.
radio was invented inlic
went for many years. And
got broader as ascasting
now we have this terrific,
really, that includes
teachers and schools, for
for any schools. And these
broadcasts. And so whate
just one of the many things
important thing. It's a
80,000 families that arere
and we're inviting you to
contribute, contribute more
give. So call us during
at seven. We want to get to
six, three, 636., three,
to say thank you is if you
sustainer or $144, you cana
great flash cards to really
that's what it's aboutd
woodpeckers and where do
What do they sound like?hey?
just the woodpeckers. It's
different birds. Excuse me?
100. It's the 22 birds your
right here. The 22guide
or the $240 with theseonth,
everything right here.d
binoculars. They're also
a month or $360. You get it
and the flash cards and the
guide. We are trying to say
encouraging you to take
airwaves, to see nature go
experience it, learn more
here for. We're here is the
been inside. It's time to
my tools to do it. Buthave
you, and now we'reere for
for us during this be here
call 1-800-236-3636.e us a
Wisconsin is a gift that
the things we can give toof
programs. You can use your
Passport once you remember.
more about Passport.k at
Wisconsin because you love
dramas and documentaries to
could be better?alism, what
How about even more shows
watch them? Wherever youo
You'll find us anywhere you
services, and we have free
enjoy anytime. Plus, wheno
your member benefits cann,
explore with PBS Passport.
titles with new favorites0
dramas from around theven
>> You ain't seen nothing
>> Your investment makes
you, your family, and your
gift at any of the levels
join an even more and then
Passport.s with PBS
those calls during this
visiting us online. You can
only got a few seconds left
but go ahead and make that
Go online. Now we want toe.
want your gift to go twice
supporting PBS Wisconsin is
keep bringing you thisto
service to continue for
that happens because of all
pbswisconsin.org or please
volunteers to answer the
[MUSIC]-800-236-3636.
[MUSIC]
While Acorn woodies remain tree-bound
and devoted to their oaks,
other woodpeckers have found success beyond the woods
in open country.
[ Squawking ]
Across the American West, there lives a remarkable bird
who's expanding woodpecker horizons.
She barely looks like a woodpecker at all.
Her feather palette is unlike any other in the family.
Her face is deep red, her belly bright pink.
And she sports an interesting collar of silvery-gray.
This is a Lewis's woodpecker, named for the explorer
Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame.
Her nest, at least, is traditional woodpecker,
a deep hole chiseled out of a large cottonwood.
But from here, she flies out to an open perch
to scan the landscape for something to eat.
In nesting season,
the grasslands are rich in flowers...
and in the insects that come to pollinate them.
As the pollinators rise from their flowers,
the Lewis's launches into the air.
Instead of a woodpecker,
she becomes a flycatcher,
snapping up her prey on the wing.
?
It's a technique called "hawking."
In real time, it's hard to see if she's successful.
But slowed down, it's impressive how adept she is.
?
She returns to the nest trip after trip...
...with beakfuls of nutritious bugs for her chicks.
?
And tops them off with gooseberries
for dessert!
?
And then, there are woodpeckers so unorthodox,
they've abandoned trees altogether.
Just outside of Tucson, Arizona, in the Sonoran Desert,
the Gila woodpecker,
with its beautifully patterned back and wings,
is tucked into the only tree-like structure around --
a giant saguaro cactus.
Mature saguaros like these could be 200 years old.
The woodpecker holes themselves might date back 50 years.
Many generations of Gila woodies come
and go in the life of a grand desert sentinel.
?
Nesting in a cactus takes planning in advance.
After carving out the nest cavity in between the spines,
the Gila must wait several months for the inner pulp
to dry into a tough, leathery casing.
With the nest ready to go,
the male brings an impressive gift to the female,
who is now sitting on eggs.
And she delicately consumes it,
one spidery leg at a time.
?
Once chicks are in the nest,
both parents fly out on foraging sorties...
...with the typical flap-flap-glide
that works so well in forests.
?
Though cacti are not trees, and the Sonoran is not a forest,
the Gilas have found a woodpecker way to thrive here.
Yet thousands of miles to the south,
there's a woodpecker that has left
even the semblance of trees far behind.
It lives where no woodpecker should be at all --
in open Alpine meadows
8,000 feet up in the Andes of Argentina.
It carves holes here, not in wood,
but in clay cliffs and the banks that line high country streams.
[ Chirping ]
This is the Andean flicker.
He's called a "flicker" because his wings are tinged
with gold and flash and flicker in the sunlight
as he takes to the sky.
?
Out in the grasslands, flickers make a living
by using their long woodpecker beaks
to probe for worms and insects in the soil.
He's very committed to his mate.
They like to forage close together,
hitching across the open terrain like woodpeckers
going up a tree.
[ Calling ]
They call back and forth to stay in constant contact.
[ Calling continues ]
After a moment, the male checks back in.
[ Calling ]
This time...
there's no reply.
?
He seeks higher ground to call again.
[ Calling ]
With no wood to work with, Andean flickers seldom drum.
Calling is all he can do.
[ Calling ]
?
With the anxious moment over,
the reunited pair share a brief display...
[ Chirping ]
...and settle down to forage again.
?
Adapting to life in the open
seems to have made Andean flickers
more eager than other woodpeckers for a social life.
?
They even nest in small colonies
with maybe a dozen birds
sharing a cliff in close proximity.
They also tolerate a small neighbor eager
to use their nest holes, too.
Blue-and-white swallows
like the same high-altitude grasslands,
though they forage in the air
and don't compete with the flickers for food.
And their busy chatter adds life to the little village
on the cliffs of the flickers' high frontier.
[ Chirping ]
?
The social scene is much more intense back in the oak trees
of California.
As nesting season comes around, the family life of Acorn woodies
becomes more cooperative,
more competitive, and more complex than ever.
In every family group,
there may be three or four females that breed...
and three or four males that breed, too.
The males are distinguished by white foreheads
and bright red crowns.
The females also have white foreheads,
but their crowns are black and red.
[ Squawking ]
These breeding birds all mate with each other,
but never stray outside the group.
The rest of the family are helpers,
older siblings waiting to move up to breeding status.
The females manage to sync their breeding
to lay their eggs at the same time.
They all use the same nest
and take turns incubating the group's eggs.
But it's a male's duty to tend the eggs through the night,
and whether this one's a father or not,
he's come to take over...
and settles down in the dark.
Soon enough, the family is hard at work.
Not every egg hatches,
but the family now has three chicks to raise.
The chicks are naked and blind,
but they're loud...
[ Chicks chirping ]
...and quick to respond when an adult comes with food.
Now the ready supply of acorns really pays off.
The chicks can start out on nutritious acorn mash
and never go hungry.
In just 18 days, they're sprouting long, dark feathers.
Soon, they develop their first crown plumage,
and they all appear to be male.
Except...they're not.
All Acorn chicks wear male plumage
until their first winter.
No one knows why.
?
At every feeding, each chick wants all the attention.
But they're all getting plenty of food.
Every adult in the group -- the mothers, the fathers,
all the helping aunts, brothers, uncles, and sisters --
is bringing them a constant supply.
?
But one female has her own agenda.
Somehow, she's well out of sync with the other females
and drops into the nest now to start laying eggs --
right in the middle of the mayhem!
The female tries over and over to incubate the new eggs,
but it's no use.
These eggs will never hatch.
But the chicks are doing well
under all the relentless parenting.
It's been just three weeks since they hatched.
Now the adults stop entering the nest
and encourage the youngsters to climb to the hole.
?
Though this little woodpecker is so eager
to look out on an exciting world,
he can have no idea what changes are on their way to his valley.
Ready or not, he's launching into it.
?
Every spring, a new class of young woodpeckers graduates
from their nest holes to take on the challenge of growing up.
?
Their abilities will surely be tested under the stress
of rising temperatures and unpredictable weather.
Some forests will be parched for water.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Others will have too much.
?
Already, trees and insects are on the move.
But woodpeckers have skills honed
over many millions of years.
They will not be caught standing still.
?
Bright and beautiful Red-bellied woodpeckers
have been steadily moving north for some 70 years.
Historically, they were residents
of the American Southeast,
only rarely seen north of the New York border.
?
But by 1980, Red-bellies were nesting around Boston
and the southern Great Lakes.
?
As the millennium dawned 20 years later,
they had crossed into Canada, from Quebec to central Ontario.
?
[ Calling ]
Today, these woodpeckers-on-the-move
are continuing their conquest of the North,
a range expansion of a thousand miles.
[ Calling ]
?
A warming world is a boon to them...
and they have seized the moment.
?
For every coming change,
there will be winners and losers.
And as woodpeckers everywhere face the future,
may their resilience and innovative homes
help secure their survival.
I'm a volunteer here at PBS
Wisconsin. We're going toBS
programs you enjoy at PBS
talk for just a minuteto
that you've just beeneries
Whole Story Woodpeckers.
nature this season has it,
everywhere looking at at
But you can even find these
PBS Wisconsin has done some.
here. Wisconsin Scenicht
versions of that. Wisconsin
programs we've made about
because we are about us.
entirely to making programs
you, whether they'rece for
or drama or music or things
programs that you'reure
also the programs we make,
investments that you make
programs for you. So call
>> I'm Linda Berman, a
Wisconsin. And it truly is
volunteer. I've beenas a
years, and every time I0
am stunned. And our way to
have very special thank you
program at $12 a month, or
bag which is done by theote
America. On the front you
the Bird Collective. Youom
these flash cards. Now,ting
well, what do you do with
you play concentration with
You can learn about them.
and take them. And like the
tells you about them. These
month. You have the, $20 a
really fantastic binoculars
as well as the field guide.
in either online or calling
because they want the tote,
cards. They also want the
This can be yours. Butuide.
give us a call atin.org. Or
>> I'm Eric Greiling,
Wisconsin. If you're not a
great gifts you can share
So make that call. Now,is.
unique ways for us to say
to keep these wonderfulart
a birder, if you spend aare
being fascinated by birds,
value this program as well,
closer to birds than most
takes us to birds ofIt
tells us more about thet
the why of what they do,
everything. We loves with
this that really open us up
it's possible because ofd
code on your screen or QR
pbswisconsin.org or please
1-800-236-3636.right now at
Lamb, who is the volunteer
and also in real life, an
said to him earlier, Ias I
the word is not avid. It'sy
birders are, are, aree
think. Yeah. How long have
>> About 12 years now. So
passionate about.very
>> Yeah.e a newbie then?
people who've been doingre
Absolutely. So why..
know if we have enough time
>> Fair point, fair point.
some of the things thatBut
for me is, I think thely
you know, anyone can really
are great, but those ares
the experience. But, youce
with just your underwear.
your eyes and ears.need
winter. I'm just thinking
yeah, okay. I get the idea.
>> But it's a very.ah.
actually I don't, I'm sure
legal either to bird. Yeah,
>> So maybe don't do that.
to be doing that. But theng
do it in garb of theircan
Yeah. So and anything Yeah.
us at 1-800-236-3636 andll
for this terrific program.t
accessible for you, no
go wear while you'rese to
month or $144 the option of
is wonderful, or with thech
the flash cards at $20 a
you can get theseone time,
guide together. And again,
binoculars so that they
you don't really need them.
get older, it reallyas we
$30 a month, you can have
things. You can get the
cards, binoculars and the
at every level you pledge,
magazine. This is tells you
airwaves so you can plan
calendar. So you can see
new shows so you can see
plan your viewing. The most
quality program that's for
support us. Easy to do. Go
or give us a call. The.org
waiting for you atting here
>> Here at PBS Wisconsin,
around the world. We love
probably won't ever get to.
places that might inspireto
And that can be all around
right here in Wisconsin. So
like, like James and Benity,
Wisconsin programs we make
takes us all over the place.
on making programs aboutcus
that we can all enjoy. And
us to places that are harde
programs take us to really
hope that inspires you todo
and experience it forand,
from people who just aren't
to do that anymore. And wee
them to experience these
for the first time. And you
you become a member, whenen
sustaining gifts. So please
or give us a call at online
>> So we're back with Ben
expert here. So you've been
said, how did you getHe
>> Yeah. So I originally
fisheries biology. I was
happened to do a very
were bird banding. So we
tags on them, releasing
fell in love with them.ust
>> Here in Wisconsin.
>> Well, that's. Yeah. Okay.
>> Yeah. But it was, it was
your hand. It really just
perspective. I went from a
but it really turned me to,
>> So if you're not a fish
guy, but you want to getd
way to get started? best
question. So one of the
new birders do is one, get
a book, whether it's an app.
with the phones. The Merlin
identify birds.lp you
>> Yeah. The other thing I
and join a group groups.
That's one of the mostng.
about birding is the me
learn so much from other
>> Not know elsewhere. The
critical for so many things,
people who support PBSy of
like you to join thisld
your neighbors, join your
to PBS Wisconsin for this
programs you love at one
six, three, six.ix, three,
identify the different you
option with the tote bag,
I was going through themds.
woodpecker. And this isd
who I hear constantly going
our 2 to 300 year old oak
it here and now I know what
know its voice and itsow
cards. At $20 a month, you
the field guide. Benlars in
guide, and I really field
tells you about theuse it
bellied woodpecker common
talks about this. And this
need. But it's also, I say,
help. They really do help,
proof ones. So you can go
birds through the different
you have the option ofnth,
bag and of course the flash
as well as these wonderful
important thing you'rest
program. You can choose to
gifts, or you can justk you
my membership now, or Ienew
Very easy to do. Our member.
They're giving of theirl.
give us a callo you. So
>> You know, it's been
Thank you so. with you, Ben.
>> For having me. Well, the
Wisconsin is, is learning.
nature and that's what you
in addition to the birding
Wisconsin. So think aboutS
this program, all thefrom
Wisconsin. And, and justS
and say, that was worth it.
a difference. This ist made
insult me. It respected me.
support. So call us atan
"Nature" is made possible in part by...
1-800-236-3636.
...committed to bridging cultural differences
in our communities.
"Nature" is also made possible by...
...and by contributions to your PBS station
from viewers like you.
?
O0 C1You're watching PBS.
?