Though fascinating and important to the ecosystem, woodpeckers can cause problems for homeowners. They have particular affinity to older, large diameter trees that indicate the presence of insect prey, rough or broken bark, dead or dying limbs, trunks damaged by weather or disease. Some eat the sap that insects are attracted to. Woodpeckers eat tree-dwelling insects including their larvae, pupae, and eggs. They excavate the nest cavities not only to lay eggs, but also to create winter shelter. Some species migrate, while others are year-round residents in Massachusetts. Both parents take turns sitting on the eggs. They lay between 3-10 eggs (depending on the species) that incubate for between 11-18 days. Occasionally, a woodpecker will drum on our houses or metal structures.Īccording to MassWildlife (Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife), woodpeckers generally nest during April, May or June in tree cavities ranging in size from 1.25 up to 4.5 inches, which they line with wood chips. They do not “sing” like other birds, but use sharp calls and rapid drumming to attract mates or announce territories. They have long tongues that are barbed and coated with bristles for spearing and extracting wood-boring insects or licking tree sap. Fortunately, their reinforced, shock-absorbing skulls absorb the shock from the repeated blows. Pecking and drumming communicates with other woodpeckers. They also excavate cavities in trees for nesting or as winter roosts. Woodpeckers have strong bills that can chisel, peck and pull away bark in search of insect prey. Other species that are common in Massachusetts are the Northern Flicker ( Colaptes chrysoides), and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus varius). Its drum is slow, powerful, accelerating and trailing off at the end or short, up to three seconds long only one or two per minute. Its call is loud, deep, resonant, often given in flight with higher-pitched calls on landing. More likely to perch high up on a dead tree is the long-necked, broad-winged and long-trailed, unmistakable Pileated Woodpecker ( Dryocopus pileatus), which is our largest woodpecker and is usually about 16.5 inches tall. They are medium-sized with a fairly long bill and more distinctly marked by red sweeping from the top of its head down the back of its neck. Red-bellied Woodpeckers ( Melanerpes carolinus) are frequently seen here, too. The drumming is fairly long with a long pause between drums, four to nine per minute. Its drum is a very fast buzzing, usually slowing at the end. The Hairy Woodpecker ( Picoides villosus), about 9 inches tall, has a sharper, louder and more high-pitched call than the Downy. Its drums are almost slow enough to count, about 9-16 per minute, a few seconds pause between drums. One is tiny Downy Woodpecker ( Picoides pubescens) about 6 inches tall, considered “dainty with a very short bill” according to David Allen Sibley, well-known ornithologist and author. There are a few common species of woodpecker one is likely to encounter in Acton and Boxborough’s forested habitats or at back yards feeders. “What on earth is that staccato drumming I hear penetrating the walls of my house?!” This fall Acton Natural Resources Division got a call from an Acton homeowner who noticed a bird pecking the fascia board of his house and wanted advice on how to make it stop.
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