Nuthatches prefer 1 1/4-inch to 1 3/8-inch diameter openings. Nest trees are often deciduous and the wood is often infected with a fungus that softens the wood, making excavating easier. The options are limited and for the most part, all non-lethal. Woodpeckers: Habitat: Forests, woodlots, willows, river groves, orchards, shade trees. Others, like downy and hairy woodpeckers, excavate new cavities each year. Smaller birds typically make smaller holes. More subtle clues include the Hairy’s all-white outer tail feathers, compared to the Downy’s spotted ones. When excavating holes downy woodpeckers usually start several holes before they make the final choice. The Hairy prefers towering trees and deeper woods, while the Downy … Downy woodpeckers prefer to probe thinner branches and the stems of reeds. For example, woodpeckers have been known to remove up to 85% of emerald ash borer (EAB) larvae from infested ash trees. Lastly, it’s important to note that the Downy Woodpecker is much more abundant than its Hairy counterpart, especially in suburbia. The resulting hole is flask-shaped starting with a narrow entrance hole and short narrow neck at the top widening to around 12 to 15 cm wide at the bottom. Also, the male Hairy’s red patch is often split in two, while the Downy’s is not. What can you do? The chickadee prefers 1 1/8-inch diameter openings, the titmouse, Bewick's wren, and the downy woodpecker look for homes with 1 1/4-inch diameter openings.
Downy Woodpeckers nest in dead trees or in dead parts of live trees.
In far north and in mountains (areas dominated by conifers), restricted to groves of deciduous trees such as aspens or willows. The hole leads to the interior of the tree, a passageway to the nesting chamber carved below. Woodpecker holes by themselves do not kill trees. However, the holes do leave a tree more vulnerable to disease and pests. The downy woodpecker and its look-alike, the hairy woodpecker, often share same territory and even the same tree, since they don’t compete for the same food. These birds tear off bark and drill in search of insects such as beetle larvae, making a wavy pattern as they weave back and forth on a trunk.
Once one woodpecker begins making holes on your house or property, it will attract other woodpeckers with the noise. Note its toe arrangement and how the tail is used for support. It’s 5:30 a.m. and you’re suddenly woken up by the noise of a woodpecker pecking away on the side your house.
The entrance hole is usually found 3.6 m to 9 m above ground. Three Reasons Why Woodpeckers Drill Holes on Houses: Drumming Holes Many siding types are potential instruments for woodpecker drumming behavior. They typically choose a small stub (averaging around 7 inches in diameter) that leans away from the vertical, and place the entrance hole on the underside. Those of hairy woodpeckers are usually no more than ½” wide. Downy woodpeckers glean insects from the surfaces of trees, shrubs and large weeds, probe into crevices and excavate shallow holes into wood to find food.
Lastly, it’s important to note that the Downy Woodpecker is much more abundant than its Hairy counterpart, especially in suburbia. Many wild birds prefer entrance holes that range between 1 and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. [Downy Woodpecker excavating sounds https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/107289] A roughly circular hole, chiseled by a woodpecker into the face of a tree trunk, is not an unusual sight in nature. If there are sporadic holes caused by woodpeckers all over a trunk and branches, it’s likely that your tree is infested or dying. Meet the downy woodpecker -- designed for drilling holes This downy woodpecker is feeding on suet -- animal fat. What is unusual is seeing what lies beyond the opening. These include houses with aluminum siding, as well as the trim boards and fascia boards of any wood, brick, and stucco homes. Woodpecker holes will also make it easy for more insects to crawl inside them, providing more food for these birds and more reason for them to flock to your home. Found in wide variety of habitats, from wilderness areas to second-growth woods to suburban yards, but generally favors deciduous trees. You may also see bark torn off a tree or scattered on the ground by woodpeckers. The hairy woodpecker uses its much longer bill to chisel deeper holes in live wood, while the downy woodpecker excavates smaller holes to find insects near the surface in soft, dead branches. If there are sporadic holes caused by woodpeckers all over a trunk and branches, it’s likely that your tree is infested or dying. In urban and suburban areas, woodpeckers help to identify issues in trees.