Downy woodpeckers may be small , but they have great big personality . I usually only see these black - and - white sweetheart when they ’re snacking on the suet cakes and black crude oil helianthus seeds I propose this time of yr .
But I of late noticed a female downy woodpecker had take a strong sake in my bluebird house . Despite the bluebird pair which has bring up multiple broods there over the last few years , the downy pecker has been alighting on the front of the nest box and pecking madly around the entrance hole .
I ’m used to monitoring the bluebird box for jenny wren hoping to take over , but this was a first . After a little research , I determined that the woodpecker is probably seek a affectionate place to roost . In the hope that I could lure it out from the fairy bluebird ’ digs , I resolve to add some extra peckerwood home ground . Although bothdowny and hairy woodpeckersgenerally nest in dead tree cavities , sometimes they will accept manmade nest box .
Rather than build up something fancy from new — and expensive!—wood , I used a large , partially hollow Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree limb as the basis for my downy pecker nest box . If you have admission to an old logarithm or suitable Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree tree branch , you just might have a good starting line on your own downy peckerwood nest box .
Specifications
Ideally , the floor size of it for your fluffy woodpecker nest cavity should measure about 4 inch by 4 inches . The entree hole to the birdhouse should be an inch - and - a - one-half in diameter , and the trap itself should be located roughly 9 inch up from the bottom of the birdhouse .
The nest enclosed space inside should measure about 1 foot improbable .
I found a partially vacuous branch that easily could easily meet each of these requirement . It was about 7 inch in diameter and a few fundament long . Although the wood along one end and around the side of the tree branch was still intact , the interior at the other remnant of the branch had become spongy .
If this limb were still up in its original Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , it would be prime real estate for a fluffy peckerwood . But since it had already fall to the ground , I ’d call for to make a few adjustments for make it a suitable likely nest situation once again .
Since the interior section of the tree limb had already begun to break down , it was delicate enough for me to carve out with a hammer and chisel .
Read more : Build a hand-crafted bluebird house with these plans .
Step by Step
Now , you do n’t necessarily have to happen a tooth decay - imbue log so as to make yourownwoodpecker nest box , but take in the scratch line of a cavitydoesmake the work much well-fixed . To start , cut off the log or branch surgical incision so that it ’s about a foot - and - a - one-half improbable .
If your logarithm already has the scratch of a pit , use a pounding and chisel to dilate it as need . Remember , the goal is to create an interior nesting part that is 4 by 4 inches across and 1 groundwork high .
( If the logarithm you select lacks a enclosed space , measure and cross out a 4 - by-4 - inch area at the nerve centre of one goal . Next , drill a series of large hole inside the domain you set , then carefully use a hammer and chisel to further enlarge the nesting bodily cavity . )
When you ’ve finished excavating , you should have a logarithm with an opening at one end . hatch this heart-to-heart end with a piece of scrap wood and safe with nail or shtup . ( If this will be the cap of your woodpecker planetary house , you might also want to supply some redundant roofing herpes zoster or additional overhang to serve keep the nest dry . )
Measure 9 in up from the bottom of the snuggle dental caries and use a 1.5 - inch wood boring exercise chip to add the entry hole .
Finishing Touches
I mounted my woodpecker house several foot up atop a tough understructure attached to a freestanding post . ( If you’re able to , tilt your birdhouse forward about 15 degrees and then tighten it firmly in place . angle the log this way will assist juvenile woodpeckers have an easier time launch themselves out of the nest boxwood when the time is right . )
Finally , because excavating potential nesting sites is an important part of their courtship and facts of life behavior , I stuffed the birdhouse ’s internal with clean , dry pine shavings . And , to further lure the downy pecker away from my bluebird house , I also attached a bit of suet patty along the underside of the fresh birdhouse ’s put on shelf .
So far , it seems to have done the trick .
