These Birds Aren’t Musicians, but They Are Drummers

Above: woodpecker damage to a painted shed

Woodpeckers aren’t trying to be musicians, but they are drummers! You may have heard the familiar drumming of a woodpecker before. They are omnivorous consumers of insects, tree sap, and nectar, along with a few other food sources. After woodpeckers have excavated a hole, they use their extremely long tongues to procure their food. Drumming can also be used to attract a mate or announce their territorial boundaries.

Judy Loven, USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services (retired), authored a Purdue Extension publication on woodpeckers and managing the damage they cause.

From smallest to largest, Loven said the year-round Indiana woodpeckers include: downy (6¾” in length), hairy (9¼”), red-headed (9¼”), red-bellied (9¼”), northern flicker (12½”), and pileated (16½”) woodpeckers. The yellow-bellied sapsucker (7¾”) is just a winter resident of Indiana, flying north to northern-tier U.S. states and into Canada for the summer.

The largest and easiest woodpecker to identify is the pileated woodpecker. People who have seen a pileated woodpecker tend to talk rather excitedly about the experience. This crow-sized bird has a crested red head with dark brown to black feathers. They can excavate large cavities in trees for nests.

Woodpeckers can also cause damage to structures.

Loven said the downy and hairy woodpeckers cause the most damage in Indiana. Both are identified by their white backs and black-and-white striped wing feathers. “The downy is sparrow-size and has a short bill,” she said. “The hairy woodpecker is robin-size.” She added that the downy also has black-and-white bars on the outer tail feathers while the hairy have entirely white tail feathers. In both species, the male has a red spot on the back of the head.

Loven said woodpeckers may attack all types of buildings and materials, but damage most often appears on cedar-sided buildings during the spring breeding season. “Excavated cone-shaped holes in siding can be several inches across and the holes may penetrate to the insulation layer,” she said. “These holes are rarely an indication of insect infestation.”

“Woodpecker damage to trees is characterized by a shredded or ragged appearance,” said Loven. However, gardeners and landscapers may have noticed neater, individual holes in a straight line, either horizontally or vertically, on trees. “The yellow-bellied sapsucker bores neat rows of ¼ inch holes spaced closely together,” said Loven. “Most often, they bore on trees rather than structures since they feed on sap.”

Loven wrote that homeowners wishing to prevent damage to structures can employ frightening devices or exclusion methods. Frightening devices may include hanging high-reflective mylar tape from eaves, helium-filled mylar balloons, spraying birds with water, or methods that involve sound. One of the better exclusion methods is utilizing a mesh bird netting from the eave edge to the base of the structure and attached with tacks, staples, or tape. Alternatively, plastic sheeting 3+mils thick could be used.

“Because damage is seasonal and may occur each year, the homeowner may also choose to use mylar tape, balloons, and/or netting to prevent damage rather than waiting for damage to occur,” she said.

If the damage gets unbearable, adding vinyl or aluminum siding or window facings will help.

Extension educators in Indiana have also observed cases where people install suet feeders near houses with wood siding, which can eventually lead to damage to the home from woodpeckers. The obvious remedy is to avoid installing these feeders so close to the house.

Since woodpeckers are considered beneficial birds that feed mostly on insects, they are protected by federal and state laws. That is why only non-lethal methods have been discussed in this article. For more information, see Indiana DNR’s webpage on living with wildlife.

For access to the referenced Purdue Extension publication, “Woodpeckers,” go to Purdue Extension’s Education Store.