Birds pecking wood is a familiar sight, a natural avian behavior that can concern homeowners when structures are involved. Understanding why birds peck wood provides insight into their biology and survival instincts, from seeking food to establishing territories.
Common Wood-Pecking Birds
Woodpeckers are the primary birds known for pecking wood. Common North American species include the Downy, Hairy, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, and sapsuckers like the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. These birds possess specialized bills, tails, and feet that enable their unique pecking actions, providing support as they brace themselves against surfaces.
While woodpeckers are the main culprits, other birds like nuthatches and chickadees occasionally peck wood for insects or seeds. However, extensive wood damage is almost exclusively attributed to woodpeckers due to their anatomical adaptations.
Reasons for Wood Pecking
Birds peck wood for several distinct biological purposes.
Foraging for Food
Many woodpeckers are insectivorous, seeking larvae, ants, beetles, and other invertebrates beneath the bark or within the wood. They use strong bills to excavate holes and long, barbed tongues to extract prey. Woodpeckers can even detect insects within wood by listening for sounds, indicating where excavation might be fruitful.
Excavating Cavities
Woodpeckers create hollowed-out areas within trees or structures for laying eggs, raising young, and sheltering. Both male and female woodpeckers typically participate in this excavation. These cavities provide protection from weather and predators for their offspring.
Drumming for Communication
Drumming is a non-foraging pecking behavior. Woodpeckers rapidly strike resonant surfaces, such as hollow trees, utility poles, or metal structures, to produce a loud sound. This drumming serves to attract mates during the breeding season and to establish or defend their territory.
Accessing Sap and Storing Food
Sapsuckers drill rows of small holes to access tree sap, a significant part of their diet. They return to these “sap wells” periodically to consume the oozing sap and any insects attracted to it. This behavior can create distinctive patterns on trees and wooden structures. Some woodpeckers also create holes in wood to store food, such as acorns, in what are known as granaries.
Identifying Damage Patterns
The appearance of wood damage often indicates the specific activity a bird was engaged in.
Foraging Damage
When birds forage for insects, damage typically appears as small, irregular, or scattered holes. These holes may also form in lines as the bird follows insect tunnels, found on siding, eaves, or other wooden components. Such damage often suggests an underlying insect infestation.
Drumming Marks
Damage from drumming, used for communication, usually consists of small, shallow holes or superficial marks. These marks are often found in clusters or along resonant corners and trim boards. While drumming can be noisy, physical damage to the wood is generally minimal.
Nesting or Roosting Holes
Nesting or roosting holes are typically larger and more circular, serving as an entry point to an excavated cavity. These holes can be 3 to 5 centimeters (1.2 to 2 inches) in diameter and penetrate deep into the wood. They are usually found on siding, fascia boards, or dead trees, as birds seek insulated spaces.
Sapsucker Damage
Sapsucker damage is distinctive, characterized by neat, horizontal rows of small, precisely drilled holes. These holes are typically shallow, just deep enough to reach the sap-producing layers. Over time, these rows can extend vertically, forming columns of holes as the bird revisits and renews the sap flow.
Discouraging Wood Pecking
Discouraging wood-pecking activity on homes involves humane and effective deterrence methods.
Remove Attractants
One approach is to remove the underlying attractant; if birds are foraging, eliminating insect infestations in the wood can reduce their interest. Professional pest control might be necessary to address termites, carpenter ants, or other wood-boring insects.
Use Visual Deterrents
Visual deterrents can be effective in scaring birds away. Hanging reflective materials, such as mylar tape, reflective streamers, old CDs, or shiny balloons, can create unpredictable flashes and movement that birds dislike. The unpredictable motion of windsocks or pinwheels can also deter birds.
Install Physical Barriers
Physical barriers provide a direct way to prevent pecking. Bird netting, hung from the roofline and spaced several inches away from the siding, can block birds from accessing the wood. Sheet metal or hardware cloth can be installed over previously damaged areas to protect the surface.
Employ Auditory Deterrents and Coatings
Auditory deterrents, such as wind chimes or devices playing woodpecker distress calls or predator sounds, can also be employed. These sounds aim to create an unwelcoming environment. For persistent problems, some specialized paints or coatings contain bitter-tasting or irritating substances that deter birds upon contact without harming them. Providing alternative food sources or nesting boxes away from the home might redirect their activity to more suitable locations.