Woodpecker Problems and Solutions

Every spring, we start getting many calls about birds pecking loudly on house gutters and chimney caps. Also, calls about birds actually pecking holes into the sides of houses. The birds responsible are usually woodpeckers.

Northern Flicker photograph - courtesy of www.naturepicsonline.com.. Above: Northern Flicker
Downy Woodpecker photograph - Public Domain - US Fish and Wildlife DLS Library. Above: Downy Woodpecker

The main culprit is the Northern Flicker. It is a fairly large bird, about 12.5 inches long with a 20" wingspan.

The second likely source of the pecking is the Downey Woodpecker. This is a much smaller bird measuring about 6.75 inches with a 12" wingspan.

The pecking can serve several purposes. When the pecking occurs on gutters and grates, it is considered drumming activity and is employed to announce territory or attract a mate. When the pecking is done to create a hole, it is for the purpose of nesting or roosting. Normally, woodpeckers use the wood of a dead tree to excavate a home. We cut down dead trees, so the woodpecker has little choice, but to use the big dead tree we call home-our house! Their favorite material is cedar siding and stucco.

There are several things you can try to dissuade a woodpecker from turning the side of your home into Swiss cheese. (I do emphasis the word try!) You can hang things up to scare them like old cds or mylar strips, but these do not usually work. We have found a spider designed to be activated upon the pecking sound; it falls down a cord and then slowly "crawls" back to the top. We are hoping to get some feedback on the success of the spider this spring.

Photograph of woodpecker houses available at WBC Colorado Springs. Above: N. Flicker, Hairy, and Downy Woodpecker Houses
European Starling photograph - Public Domain - US Fish and Wildlife DLS Library. Above: European Starling

The solution that works most of the time is a nestbox. Placing a nestbox on the side of your home provides the bird with the place to nest and roost so they no longer need to make holes in your house. When mounted correctly, this solution will be successful. The main reason it may not work will be the presence of starlings.

The European Starling is a non-native introduced bird that is very aggressive and will take a nestbox over from a flicker. You can tell if this has happened because you will see the wood shavings installed with the nestbox removed and replaced with twigs. Because the starling is not a native bird, you may remove its nest from the box and try filling with more wood shavings.

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