Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 3
Living with Our Feathered Friends: Solving Bird Problems
As wonderful as birds are, when the natural world collides with our own, sometimes
it's tricky figuring out how to solve the problems: Cardinals shadowboxing with their
reflection on our windows. Woodpeckers carving up wood siding. Geese crowding
onto the golf green. If I had a nickel for every time someone called my house asking
me how to solve a bird-related problem, I'd be wealthy! Some issues are harder than
others, but most of the time we can solve bird problems without harming birds. How?
I'm glad you asked!
The Birds — Not Just a Movie
Q For the past few weeks, I've woken up to the sound of a woodpecker hammering on
the house. I can see where it has been drilling holes under the eaves. I've tried chasing
it away but it keeps coming back. Why does it keep eating my house?
A Woodpeckers don't actually eat houses, though that is hardly a comforting technicality
when they're carving holes into your wood siding. They do eat insects in the wood, and
they also chop holes into houses when trying to excavate cavities where they can nest,
roost, or store their food. If you have the right type of house, they may also drum on it to
defend their territories or to attract mates.
Woodpeckersdeclaretheirterritorybyhammeringaspecificrhythmonthemostreson-
ant structure they can find, often beginning early in the morning. Drumming can be loud
and annoying, but it doesn't cause serious damage — usually small dents in the wood,
grouped in clusters along the corners or on fascia and trim boards. The holes may some-
times be as large as an inch across, round, cone-shaped, and generally shallow.
If the hammering isn't particularly loud or rhythmic, the woodpeckers may be looking
for food. Sometimes insects work their way into siding, especially grooved plywood sid-
ing. Leaf cutter and carpenter bees, grass bagworms, and other insects crawl into grooves
in the siding; when woodpeckers hear them, they cut into the wood to get them. Holes
made when hunting for insects tend to be small and clustered, usually three to six or so,
often in a line.
Woodpeckers also sometimes dig holes in houses to make a place to roost or nest, usu-
ally on dark-stained or natural wood houses near wooded areas. These holes are usually
dug in springtime and are large enough for the woodpecker to fit into.
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