Woodpecker to be exact. I've only seen him a few times, pretty sucker, big 'ol red crown on his head, mostly black and white. We don't see this type of bird up here very often, at least I haven't. Anyhow, the little feathered bastage is attacking my house. More precisely, the corner of the bedroom walls exterior. And only in the early afternoon. Seems hell bent on disrupting my wifes nap time on her days off. So before I administer a lead correction, anything I can do to dissuade the little pecker from pecking? Thanks, JB
How do I phrase this...I've got a pecker problem.
- Thread starter Beetle-Kill
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Could it be this: Pileated Woodpecker
Not sure on management... I can think of 2 options off the top of my head:
1) Put up some aluminum flashing in the area he's going after (assuming you can access it)
2) Put up some owl/hawk decoys... something to spook him and keep him away.
Good luck!
Not sure on management... I can think of 2 options off the top of my head:
1) Put up some aluminum flashing in the area he's going after (assuming you can access it)
2) Put up some owl/hawk decoys... something to spook him and keep him away.
Good luck!
Good info. there, thank you very much. Aluminum tube wind chimes will go in this weekend. Shiney, noisey, and they'll have the movement. Hope it works......for him.
soupy1957
Minister of Fire
Since this is a Forum about burning wood and pellets for heat, I'll steer it in that direction and just say that the "Pecker" will have one heck of a headache, if he tries to peck at your stove flue!!
-Soupy1957
-Soupy1957
I know it's too late but leave an occasional snag standing, give him some natural habitat.
Also leave some dead and rotting on the ground near the house, gives the ants and termites something to do.
I had one of these at my house also, went away after a while a couple days. Scare him off whenever he comes around.
Also leave some dead and rotting on the ground near the house, gives the ants and termites something to do.
I had one of these at my house also, went away after a while a couple days. Scare him off whenever he comes around.
We 'thought' we had a woodpecker problem here but turns out he's not 'pecking' on our siding. Let me explain a bit: We have Pecky Cypress wood siding which has natural vertical 'groves' in the wood. I 'thought' our woodpecker was creating holes but in reality he was stock piling food - ity bity pieces of green leaves or something like that were 'stuffed' into some of the natural groves in our siding. Was this kind of like a squirrel burying nuts in the fall? 
That's interesting, but I don't think he's stockpiling food. If he heads west about 50 yrds., he's got a whole mountainside of Aspen and Pine to play around in. I think it's either sheer malice, or a mating call. I've spotted him once or twice knocking the heck out of one Aspen behind my shed. I'll hang some shiney stuff where he attacks, see what happens.
They tap everything wooden until the find something that sounds like a dead, partially hollow tree. Once they find it, they will try to bore a hole and eat the ants that they suspect are inside. If your house sounds like a dead tree it is fair game. The forest full of healthy trees don't sound as appetizing as your siding corner trim to this menace.
Looking for food tapping is several taps over 5 seconds and then a pause.
Drill a hole and eat tapping is 2 or 3 taps per second for a longer time.
Hope you get rid of him soon.
Looking for food tapping is several taps over 5 seconds and then a pause.
Drill a hole and eat tapping is 2 or 3 taps per second for a longer time.
Hope you get rid of him soon.
We get porch peckers.
I think you should hang out some suet for it - a distraction.
Porch peckers never peck the porch when they can peck pork.
I think you should hang out some suet for it - a distraction.
Porch peckers never peck the porch when they can peck pork.
soupy1957 said:
No he won't. Woodpeckers have shock mounted brains. They peck on aluminum and steel all the time with no apparent consequences, except those from enraged neighbors. They especially seem to like aluminum tubes, such as boat masts. Nobody seems to know why they do it, but they absolutely will do it. I have heard and suffered through it numerous times.
Pileated woodpeckers are federally protected in the US, but the cats don't know that. Like all birds, kitties aren't their favorite furry friends. You could always try mounting a stuffed Garfield as a deterrent. :coolsmile:
Post a picture if you do. :lol:
basod
Minister of Fire
Pileated woodpeckers are pretty large and unmistakeable. They usaully measure ~14-16in atleast around here. The smaller peckers are the red-cockaded but look similar just smaller.
You sure that trim or siding isn't rotten and has some dormant carpenter ants?
By the way all song birds are protected just the fines aren't as steep as the federally protected ones like pileated/red cockaded, owls, birds of prey etc.
I had an owl show up in front yard 3 years ago, Barred owl, he just sat there and rocked side to side, I eventually picked it up with welding gloves and kept him from my dogs until rescue league could arrive.
He died the next morning, and after calling about dozen numbers was stonewalled in my attempts to receive a permit to mount this beautiful owl.
I took some pictures of it(sorry not digital) but apparently even those are illegal to possess. Seemed foolish that a dead animal, from natural causes, can't be mounted.
The few taxidermy shops i talked to said they'd have federal agents at their shop the next day if were to even order an owl mount/or eyes etc.
You sure that trim or siding isn't rotten and has some dormant carpenter ants?
By the way all song birds are protected just the fines aren't as steep as the federally protected ones like pileated/red cockaded, owls, birds of prey etc.
I had an owl show up in front yard 3 years ago, Barred owl, he just sat there and rocked side to side, I eventually picked it up with welding gloves and kept him from my dogs until rescue league could arrive.
He died the next morning, and after calling about dozen numbers was stonewalled in my attempts to receive a permit to mount this beautiful owl.
I took some pictures of it(sorry not digital) but apparently even those are illegal to possess. Seemed foolish that a dead animal, from natural causes, can't be mounted.
The few taxidermy shops i talked to said they'd have federal agents at their shop the next day if were to even order an owl mount/or eyes etc.
Well, found out this guy is just called a "red headed woodpecker". DOW had some info. on how to get rid of them, and did stress to get rid of it soon. I can get a permit to whack the little sucker, it's not a problem, but I'll try the non-lethal approach for the time being. They don't like loud noises, so a 12g. should shoo it away. One way or the other.
Shooting your pecker with a shotgun. Why am I laughing and thinking about a Annie Potts line in the opening of the movie Texasville?
BB, you mention Annie Potts and I get all fuzzy. "Designing Women" is where I remember her from. Hottest red-head on the planet. Quirky and cool in "Ghost Busters". I don't remember Texasville.
Beetle-Kill said:
Woodpeckers are classified as migratory, nongame birds and are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
http://icwdm.org/handbook/birds/woodpeckers.asp
Deterrent suggestions:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/wp_about/control.html
Mrs. Krabappel
Minister of Fire
NH_Wood
Minister of Fire
~*~Kathleen~*~ said:
+1 - how much red on the head? Just a patch of red on the back of the head? Cheers.
Hogwildz
Minister of Fire
Woodpeckers round here know where the bugs are. And aside from making a home, its the only reason they dig into the wood on your house.
We have serious carpenter bees here in the warmer months. They bore perfect 5/8" holes and lay their larva deep in the holes. The wood peckers come and dig in to feed on the larva.
My parent's house was hit hard each year. They finally had the wood trim covered in PVC coated aluminum trim coil. Brown PVC woodgrain finish looks damn near real wood from far enough away. Problem solved. No more bees boring, then no more peckers a pecking.
We have serious carpenter bees here in the warmer months. They bore perfect 5/8" holes and lay their larva deep in the holes. The wood peckers come and dig in to feed on the larva.
My parent's house was hit hard each year. They finally had the wood trim covered in PVC coated aluminum trim coil. Brown PVC woodgrain finish looks damn near real wood from far enough away. Problem solved. No more bees boring, then no more peckers a pecking.
For clarification: I'm enclosing a couple pictures out of my bird book. The Red-Headed and the Red-Bellied are very different.
Either way Red-HEADED or Red-BELLIED I know ..... one of them is causing YOU a headache. Please try to deter them without having to shoot them.
For which: "When warranted, woodpeckers other than the endangered species can be killed but only under a permit issued by the Law Enforcement Division of the US Fish and Wildlife Service upon recommendation of USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services personnel. Generally, there must be a good case to justify issuance of a permit."
I had a Flicker working on some wood where a piece of siding had blown off ...... we put a piece of heavy gauge aluminum up there. He went away .... probably with a headache.
Either way Red-HEADED or Red-BELLIED I know ..... one of them is causing YOU a headache. Please try to deter them without having to shoot them.
For which: "When warranted, woodpeckers other than the endangered species can be killed but only under a permit issued by the Law Enforcement Division of the US Fish and Wildlife Service upon recommendation of USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services personnel. Generally, there must be a good case to justify issuance of a permit."
I had a Flicker working on some wood where a piece of siding had blown off ...... we put a piece of heavy gauge aluminum up there. He went away .... probably with a headache.
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ChipTam
Burning Hunk
As others have noted, a Red-Bellied is more likely this time of year than a Red-Headed. There are two reasons the bird may be going after your siding. First, they're looking for insect larvae in between the layers of siding. Live insects wouldn't be around in your neck of the woods this time of year. Second, male woodpeckers drum on trees or siding to attract females right before breeding season. Yup, right about now. It might be all about sex!
Humane solutions are more difficult to find. Owl decoys usually don't work because there's no movement. I've seen pigeons sitting right on top of owl decoys. I've heard that strips of aluminum foil tacked to a few spots on the siding will blow in the wind and discourage the woodpeckers from landing. I've never had need to try this myself. If it's a Red Bellied and it's after food try peanuts in the shell. They go gaga after peanuts.
ChipTam
Humane solutions are more difficult to find. Owl decoys usually don't work because there's no movement. I've seen pigeons sitting right on top of owl decoys. I've heard that strips of aluminum foil tacked to a few spots on the siding will blow in the wind and discourage the woodpeckers from landing. I've never had need to try this myself. If it's a Red Bellied and it's after food try peanuts in the shell. They go gaga after peanuts.
ChipTam
drizler
Minister of Fire
We had 2 pairs of wooley woodpeckers come and start knocking holes in our birch trees a couple years back. They drove me nuts trying to keep them from one tree or another as they just went back and forth. These guys are determined little dudes. We ended up just putting out a couple of those small square suet feeders they sell at Tractor Supply and Wallyworld. The suet blocks are a buck apiece. They still hung around but didn't knock very many new holes in the trees again though they do wander all over them picking all over constantly but damaging nothing. Now a couple years later we have a whole squadron of Wooley and Hairy woodpeckers as well as a few Nuthatches that hang around with them. They stay here all year round doing their thing but if you keep them well fed they don't seem much inclined to get too ambitious with your property. They make pretty interesting neighbors these welfare woodpeckers.
We have pileated woodpeckers year round. I was watching one today and love them. They have occasionally used our flue cap as an announcement drum. It does surprise you, but I wouldn't hold that against them They are very cool birds. I've had neighbor's barking dogs that were much more annoying.
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