Well adapted to living in trees, woodpeckers have four strong toes, two pointing forward and two back, with sharp claws that enable them to cling upright on the bark of trunks and branches. They also have stiff tail feathers to prop them up vertically.

Woodpeckers have hard, pointed beaks which they use to chisel into wood in search of insects and sap, or to excavate cavities for nesting and roosting. They also use their beaks to drum or tap out sounds during breeding seasons.

Woodpeckers have thick skulls which are protected from the concussive force of pounding by a narrow space around the brain that functions as a shock absorber.

With long, flexible, bristled and sticky tongues, woodpeckers can probe small holes in wood to catch insects. In feeding, most woodpeckers start at the base of a tree, searching for insects and spiders, and then they move up the trunk in spirals until they reach the larger limbs where they explore the undersides of branches.

Some species, such as sapsuckers and hairy woodpeckers, excavate holes in live trees. Others, such as flickers and downy woodpeckers, prefer to drill in dying trees or snags. In either case, the birds tunnel down six to eighteen inches deep, making the excavation wider at the bottom for the egg chamber.

Both male and female woodpeckers take turns incubating two to eight eggs. Hatchlings are naked and blind. Depending on species, young leave the nest between 21 and 30 days after hatching.

Species found in the Puget Sound area range in size from the pilleated woodpecker which is about nineteen inches long, to the downy woodpecker at six to seven inches in length.

The red-shafted, or common, flicker, is a species of woodpecker that has adapted to urban and suburban environments. Unlike other woodpeckers, flickers often feed on the ground where they eat ants. They are characterized by the reddish-orange underlinings of the wings and tail.

On occasion, woodpeckers may cause damage to the outside of buildings, and the sound of their drumming may be annoying to occupants inside. There are three possible reasons for their behavior which should be assessed before taking remedial action.

1. Since resident woodpeckers drum against hard, resonant surfaces to proclaim territory, they are likely to return to the same spot repeatedly during breeding season. This can become a problem when the site is a metal gutter, downspout, or wooden siding of a house, and especially when the woodpecker pecks on it in the early morning. To discourage drumming, try to modify the surface of the chosen site by covering it with fabric or foam. It may also work to provide an alternative drumming site by nailing two boards together at just one end and hanging them on a secure surface.

2. If woodpecker activity is not restricted to one site on a building, and if it occurs throughout the year, the birds are likely to be drilling for food. They are attracted to insect-infested wood where they can drill small holes into the surface to extract the insects. The first step is to control the insects, and then to make necessary repairs which might entail replacing affected timbers, siding, or roofing.

3. Woodpeckers may also drill cavities for nesting, roosting, or caching food. Look for round, deep, openings, often near knot holes in boards. In the spring or summer, assume there is an active nest with eggs or hatchlings inside, wait until you are sure all the birds have fledged and left the nest on their own, and then immediately repair the openings. Plug small holes with caulking or wood filler, and fill larger ones with wooden plugs, steel wool, or wire screen before sealing.

At the first sign of activity, woodpeckers can also be scared away from a site by making noises at a nearby window or against the adjacent inside wall. Strips of foil, fabric, or commercially available bird-scare tape hung from eaves might also deter birds, although care should be taken not to scare birds away from an active nest.

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