When the first woodpecker arrived at your property it was like receiving an award as \"Best in Nature!\" and you could not believe your eyes! Now you have a whole team of woodpecker contractors (tree construction specialists) at your branches; here's why these tree construction specialists chose your trees as temporary shelter!
Bring Hummingbirds Right To Your Window!
Check Price1. Your Old Tree Stumps Are Like Five Star Restaurants
That old stump you are going to remove? In woodpecker language, that is like a Michelin starred restaurant! They are full of protein and insect larvae—and woodpeckers can’t get enough of them. That stump you have been meaning to remove has turned into a dining spot that you have created on purpose!
Save this article for later so you don't lose it. Enter your email and I'll send it to you now—plus you'll get my favorite backyard birding tips delivered to your inbox.
2. Those Carpenter Ant Trails Have a Delicious Secret
While the small black lines on the tree trunk may be concerning, to a woodpecker, they are like a big sign pointing to a food source. Carpenter ants are a woodpecker's less than prime food source, and your tree is giving them a feast. It's like having a big neon sign that says 'DINER' that woodpeckers can only read.
3. Your Oak Trees Have Been Alive Since The Disco Era
Mature trees have grooves in their barks that attract woodpeckers. Woodpeckers enjoy the thick bark and spend time on the tree to search for insects that are hiding in the different indentations in the tree’s surface. The inviting aged trees stand as attractive warm resting spot for woodpeckers as a worn armchair would for a person. The younger trees would not be as appealing to a woodpecker.
4. “Hollow” Knock Knock sound when tapping the trunk.
That hollow sound that makes you feel uneasy? A woodpecker would consider it music to their ears as they are able to locate these acoustic sweet spots better than any arborist. They understand it translates to less effort needed to excavate nests and locate food. It's as if they have a built-in sonar for detecting nesting opportunities.
5. Nature Bulletin Board is a great way to describe the bark.
Bark that has tiny holes and markings serves as a kind of community board for woodpeckers. Each mark shows a story of a successful place to forage, and just like we read the Sunday paper, woodpeckers read these signs. They are leaving reviews for other diners.
Get our free Hummingbird Attraction Guide! Plus, we'll send you our best tips for attracting more birds to your yard.
6. There is a secret bug buffet under those loose shingles
What’s going on with the bark that is peeling away from the trunk? It’s like when you start removing old wallpaper in a house. You never know what you’re going to find! The same goes for woodpeckers. They know exactly what to look for, and it’s a gold mine. Inside the bark are tons of insects and larvae to feast on! It’s like an all you can eat breakfast bar!
7. Your Trees Still Show Wounds From The 1998 Ice Storm
Woodpecker and bird activity can be seen at the old damaged spots left over from previous storm seasons. Injuries sustained from storms are actually great for woodpeckers as the damage attracts insects, providing food for the woodpeckers.
8. Die Sapsucker-Brunnen sehen aus wie Morsecode-Nachrichten.
The holes in the tree are not random, they are like a secret message from yellow-bellied sapsuckers to other woodpeckers saying, “this tree has the good stuff.” Yellow-bellied sapsuckers are the first to get there, and the woodpeckers follow behind them. You could think of them as trendsetters.
9. That One Branch Sounds Like Your Old Screen Door
The sound of a branch creaking can point to potential wood decay. Woodpeckers hear this sound and know they will soon have a cavity to excavate (possibly even a nesting site). The sound that reminds you of sitting on a porch during summer nights is actually an advertisement to a woodpecker.
10. Mushrooms forming at the base is actually a good sign
You may find the mushrooms growing at the base of the tree alarming, but for woodpeckers, it’s like a sign that says “Now Leasing.” When a fungal growth appears it means that there is wood decay happening, which is ideal for the woodpeckers to excavate new homes. Nature is putting out the welcome mat for the woodpecker carpenters!
11. Your neighbor likely has some new steel pole feeders installed on their property, but ours beat theirs!
Your neighbor might attract birds with their fancy new bird feeder, but at your place, woodpeckers can dine at a real wood wonderland experience! It is like choosing between a fast-food experience versus a home-cooked meal. The birds know what place has more character!
12. The Lightning Strike From '05 Created The Ideal Entrance
The old lightning scar splitting your maple isn't just a conversation starter – it's prime real estate for woodpeckers. These natural wood splits provide ideal starting points for cavity excavation – nature's pre-drilled pilot holes. What was once an injury from a storm is now valuable real estate for birds.
13. Die repies van skorsing wat afskil lyk soos trosse wat deur die natuur geskep is.
Bark strips hanging off your trees are not a eyesore. Instead, they provide a natural gripping surface for woodpeckers to help them furnish your trees with planed surfaces as well as make them their own launching pads and personal jungle gym. It's like your trees are providing scaffolding for woodpeckers to furnish their own construction sites.
14. The Branch Heights Correspond to Their "Parking Spots"
Different woodpecker species prefer different heights when it comes to nesting. Your tree is like an apartment building for woodpeckers, and the branch arrangement is ‘just right’! Downy woodpeckers like the lower floors, while Pileated woodpeckers take the penthouse. Nature has provided woodpeckers with a multi-storey bird condo, and each one knows exactly where to go!
