Woodpecker

Their common name reflects the fact that they routinely peck wood, for food, for shelter, and for drumming to establish territories and attract mates. Woodpeckers may be a nuisance or damaging pest when they attack wood structures, but they are federally protected. Although this family includes the Sapsuckers and Flickers, this section is restricted to woodpeckers. There are 22 species found in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Recognition

Depending on the species, adults are about 6-18 inches long. Their color varies greatly between species, but most males have some red on the head and many species have black and white marks. Bills are stout, sharply pointed, and chisel-like. Tail feathers are stiff and spiny, and used as a support prop. Legs are short, each with two sharp-clawed, backward-pointed toes.

Habits

This can be summarized for the four representative species as follows:

1. Downy woodpecker. They excavate a nest cavity in dead wood and rarely accept a nest box. Males drum to announce their territory and to attract a mate during breeding season. They are typically found in woods, wood lots, parks, gardens, farms, suburbs, and are frequent suet feeders in winter.

2. Hairy woodpecker. Similar to Downy woodpecker except they prefer deciduous/hardwood forest in addition to the other habitats given.

3. Pileated woodpecker. They excavate a nest cavity in dead wood about 15-70 feet off the ground. The entrance hole is about 3-1/2 inches in diameter and the cavity may be 10-24 inches deep. Feeding holes are squarish and about 3-6 inches in size; occasionally they may excavate a long gash when pursuing ants. Unmated males drum to attract a mate, or drumming can be done between mated pairs as part of the courtship. They are typically found in mature forests and along their borders as well as in the suburbs. Their territory size may be 150-200 acres.

4. Red-bellied woodpecker. They excavate a nest cavity in a living tree or one which recently died, but they also will use an abandoned hole in an old stump, fence post or utility pole, as well as a birdhouse. Males and females mutually drum in one-second bursts as part of their courtship, usually with one inside a potential nest hole and the other on the outside. They habitually store food by wedging it deeply into a crevice. They are found in woodlands, parks and the suburbs.

Woodpeckers occasionally achieve pest status because of their drumming on structures, and/or attacking wood structures because of an insect infestation, for nut storage, or as a potential nesting site. For drumming purposes, they prefer substrates which resonate loudly, such as gutters, vents, metal siding, drain pipes, chimney caps, roof vents, etc. Drumming may be done several times each day and can continue for several days or weeks. It may result in damage to the surface used and/or a most annoying racket.