Woodpeckers are loud and flashy attention getters and are instantly recognizable.  They're are marvelous birds to watch since most love to show off in front of an audience.

There are many types of woodpeckers, the Downy Woodpecker, the Hairy Woodpecker, the Ladder-backed Woodpecker, the Red Headed Woodpecker, the Pileated Woodpecker, the Black Backed Woodpecker, Lewis's Woodpecker, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, the Three-toed Woodpecker, the Golden-fronted Woodpecker, the Acorn Woodpecker, the Gila Woodpecker, Nuttal's Woodpecker, Strickland's Woodpecker, the White-headed Woodpecker,  and then all  members of the Flickers and Sapsuckers.  Rather than giving you a description of each of these species, I will let you research woodpeckers on the many various online sources of birding information, or a good bird book.

There are many ways to attract woodpeckers to your yard.  To start, tempt them with food, nesting places, and drumming sites.  Large trees give your garden great curb appeal when it comes to woodpeckers.  The trees will provide the woodpeckers with food, namely insects.

Besides eating the insects from your trees, woodpeckers will also quickly become regulars at feeders for handouts of sunflower seeds, corn, and nuts.  Many species are also fond of fruit.  So if you have or want to plant a fruit bearing trees or plants, think of planting mulberry, cherry, hackberry, Virginia Creeper, dogwood, pokeberry, serviceberry, and other fruiting plants or trees.

Woodpeckers also love acorns and other nuts, including pecans, walnuts and beechnuts.  They will eat them right off the trees if you have that type of tree, or they will eagerly take them from a feeder.

Woodpeckers are also cavity nesters, and they will accept nest boxes or larger bird houses.  They will also creat cavities to nest from in dead branches and snags in trees, so don't be too eager to cut off dead and dying branches of trees.  If you put up bird houses or nest boxes for them, put them up in the autumn or very early winter because woodpeckers will start pairing up in late winter, months before they are ready for breeding and nesting.  

Some things you can offer at your feeders that wookpeckers love are doughnuts, corn bread, watermelon, suet, and the peanut butter and cornmeal mixture.  In fact, woodpeckers love the suet and peanut butter so much, I have a hard time keeping my feeders stocked with them.
 
 

How to Attract Birds to Your Yard

Feeding the Birds	Providing Water for the Birds
Landscaping and Gardening for the Birds	Providing Housing for the Birds
Other Methods to Attract Birds	Providing Safety for Birds

 
 
 

Other Birds You May Want to Attract

Back to the Main Page	Attracting Hummingbirds
Attracting Bluebirds	Attracting Cardinals
Attracting Buntings	Attracting Finches
Attracting Orioles	Attracting Tanagers

 
 

Since June 20, 1999