8 Ways Attract Woodpeckers To Your Backyard

Woodpeckers are unique and beneficial birds to attract to your yard. Known for their distinctive drumming and specialized beaks, woodpeckers help maintain the health of trees by eating insects that burrow into the bark.

Additionally, they play a vital role in the ecosystem by controlling insect populations and providing natural tree cavities for other species. If you’re interested in attracting these fascinating birds, here are some effective steps to make your yard a woodpecker-friendly haven.

Table of Contents

1.Provide the Right Food Sources

Woodpeckers have specific dietary needs, primarily consisting of insects, nuts, and berries.

By offering a variety of foods, you can attract woodpeckers and encourage them to visit your yard regularly.

Offer Suet: Suet is a high-energy food that is especially appealing to woodpeckers, providing them with the fats they need to thrive. You can find suet cakes in many flavors, often mixed with nuts, fruits, and seeds. Suet is particularly helpful in the colder months when natural food sources are scarce.

Provide Nuts and Seeds: Woodpeckers enjoy peanuts, sunflower seeds, and other nuts. Raw or unsalted nuts are best, as salted varieties can be harmful to birds. You can place these in a platform or peanut feeder where woodpeckers can easily access them.

Fruit and Berry Options: Fruits such as apple slices, oranges, and berries are excellent treats for woodpeckers. You can attach fruit slices to a platform feeder or skewer them on branches around your yard. Berries, like those from elderberry bushes, are also favorites among woodpeckers.

Insect Feeders: Many woodpecker species eat insects as a primary source of protein. Consider adding mealworms to your feeders or setting up an insect feeder that contains beetles, ants, or other small insects. This will attract woodpeckers that prefer live prey.

2.Install Woodpecker-Friendly Feeders

Choosing the right feeder is essential to attract and accommodate woodpeckers. Since they’re larger than many other backyard birds, they need sturdy feeders with easy access.

Suet Feeders: Cage-style suet feeders are durable and can support woodpeckers while they eat. Look for tail-prop suet feeders, which have a small board beneath the suet cage that supports the woodpecker’s tail as it clings, mimicking their natural behavior.

Platform Feeders: Platform feeders are flat and open, providing plenty of room for woodpeckers to perch. These feeders are versatile, holding a range of foods like nuts, seeds, and fruit that woodpeckers enjoy.

Peanut Feeders: Peanut feeders, which typically have metal mesh tubes, are easy to hang and refill. The design allows woodpeckers to cling to the mesh and peck at whole peanuts, providing a satisfying snack.

3.Provide Water Sources

While woodpeckers get most of their hydration from the food they eat, a fresh water source can make your yard even more inviting.

Birdbaths: A shallow birdbath is ideal for woodpeckers, especially during dry periods. Place it near trees or shrubs so that woodpeckers can easily approach and retreat if they sense danger.

Moving Water Features: Fountains, drippers, or water wigglers create movement and sound that attracts birds, including woodpeckers. The sound of running water can help them locate the birdbath, especially when other water sources are scarce.

Winter Water Maintenance: During freezing weather, consider using a heated birdbath to keep the water from turning to ice. This provides a reliable source of fresh water year-round, encouraging woodpeckers to visit even in winter.

4.Create Suitable Nesting Sites

Woodpeckers are cavity nesters, meaning they naturally seek out holes in trees for nesting and roosting. By providing or preserving potential nesting sites, you can make your yard more attractive to woodpeckers.

Install Nesting Boxes: If natural cavities are scarce, consider installing a nesting box. For woodpeckers, the box should be around 10-12 inches deep with a 2-inch entrance hole. Place the box on a tree or pole at least 10 feet off the ground, in a shaded, quiet location.

Preserve Dead Trees (Snags): Dead trees, or snags, are valuable for woodpeckers. They provide natural nesting cavities and attract insects, a primary food source. If it’s safe, leave dead trees or limbs intact as they offer excellent roosting and nesting options.

Encourage Tree Cavities: Allowing natural cavities to form in large trees provides additional nesting options. These cavities not only attract woodpeckers but also other cavity-nesting birds, contributing to a diverse and healthy habitat.

5.Plant Woodpecker-Friendly Trees and Shrubs

Vegetation is essential for attracting woodpeckers, as they rely on trees and shrubs for food, shelter, and nesting.

Native Trees: Plant native trees like oak, pine, and hickory, which provide food sources, nesting sites, and cover. Woodpeckers often forage in these trees, seeking insects within the bark.

Fruit-Bearing Shrubs: Shrubs that produce berries, such as dogwood, serviceberry, and elderberry, offer a natural food source. Woodpeckers will feed on the berries, especially in late summer and fall when they’re most abundant.

Insect-Hosting Plants: Trees and shrubs that attract insects will naturally appeal to woodpeckers. Some great options include willow, birch, and maple trees, which host a variety of insects that woodpeckers enjoy.

6.Create a Safe Environment

A safe environment is essential for attracting and retaining woodpeckers. Minimize risks by addressing common hazards.

Reduce Pesticide Use: Pesticides can harm the insect population that woodpeckers rely on. By reducing or eliminating pesticide use, you promote a natural food source and maintain a healthier ecosystem.

Prevent Window Collisions: To prevent woodpeckers from colliding with windows, apply decals, window film, or other visible markers. This reduces reflections and helps woodpeckers avoid the glass, especially during breeding season when they’re more active.

Control Predators: Keep cats indoors and consider installing baffles or barriers around nesting areas to deter predators. This provides a safer environment for woodpeckers to feed and nest.

7.Provide Perches and Drumming Sites

Woodpeckers drum on trees or other surfaces to communicate and establish territory. You can encourage this natural behavior by providing suitable drumming and perching sites.

Install Drumming Posts: Hollow logs or dead branches make ideal drumming sites. Woodpeckers will use these to communicate, especially during breeding season when establishing territory is important.

Natural Perches: Place natural perches, such as large branches or logs, around your yard. These perches give woodpeckers spots to rest, drum, and observe their surroundings.

Include Wooden Structures: Wooden poles or other structures can serve as drumming sites, attracting woodpeckers with their sound-producing potential. Ensure the structures are safe and positioned in visible areas to encourage woodpecker activity.

8. Add Variety and Patience to Your Feeding and Habitat Setup

Creating a woodpecker-friendly yard may take some time, but with patience and a few adjustments, you can make it happen.

Change Food Seasonally: Offer more suet in winter when natural food sources are limited, and provide fresh fruit during the summer. Changing your food offerings based on the season helps meet woodpeckers’ needs year-round.

Create Diverse Habitat Layers: Plant a mix of ground cover, shrubs, and tall trees to provide foraging opportunities, roosting spots, and cover. This layered landscape appeals to woodpeckers by offering a variety of resources in one area.

Be Patient: Woodpeckers may take time to discover your yard. By consistently providing food, water, and shelter, you increase the likelihood of attracting these birds. With patience, you’ll soon see woodpeckers becoming regular visitors.

Conclusion

Attracting woodpeckers to your yard can bring both enjoyment and benefits, such as natural pest control and increased biodiversity. By offering the right food, water, nesting sites, and a safe environment, you create a habitat that welcomes woodpeckers. With a bit of planning and care, your yard can become a sanctuary for these fascinating birds, allowing you to observe their unique behaviors and contribute to their conservation.

8 ways Attract Woodpeckers to your backyard