The UK has three native species of woodpecker; the great spotted woodpecker, the lesser spotted woodpecker and the green woodpecker. As well known as they are, "seen but not heard" definitely isn't an expression that would ever be used to describe woodpeckers!
Taking a walk through the woods you may often hear the tell-tale thrumming and knocking of a woodpecker nearby, but you'd be lucky if you happened to catch a glimpse of their distinctive red head and stripy wings.
As elusive as they are, it's a happy day when your garden is graced with an appearance from a woodpecker.
Fun fact about woodpeckers; did you know that they have furry noses? Their nostrils are covered in feathers to keep splinters and dust out while they peck. How cool is that!
Woodpeckers are undeniably charming birds. If you love woodpeckers as much as we do, you might be interested in attracting some to your garden. Lucky for us, woodpeckers aren’t that difficult to attract!
How to Attract Woodpeckers to Your Garden
To attract woodpeckers to our gardens, we first have to answer the question 'what do woodpeckers like?' The first step in attracting woodpeckers to your garden is setting up the right environment to entice them. Woodpeckers generally like shaded and well-sheltered areas, so make sure there are areas of your garden that are suitable.
There are also a few bits and pieces you could put in your garden to encourage woodpeckers to come and visit. Woodpeckers have been known to like;
Pine trees and pine nuts
If you have a pine tree in your garden, your garden might be a prime location for woodpeckers! Woodpeckers have been shown to like resting in pine trees. If you don't have a pine tree, don't stress! Having pine nuts out will do just as well since woodpeckers go nuts for pine nuts.
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Dead trees
Woodpeckers are known to nest in dead trees and stumps. They use their distinctive drilling traits to drill holes in the soft, rotting wood and use it as a nest. If you have a dead tree or stump in your garden, clear space around it to make it approachable for woodpeckers.
If you don't have anything appropriate in the vein of dead trees, a nest box could also do quite nicely. Fix your nest box around 10 - 20 feet high. Hopefully, with all the other woodpecker-attracting items you have in your garden, a family of woodpeckers will be inclined to come and nest in your box!
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Suet
Woodpeckers have been found to really like suet, so investing in a suet feeder and putting out suet and fat balls are a great way to attract woodpeckers. Woodpeckers aren't particularly fussy eaters either, so once you've got your suet feeder, you can make your own suet and fat balls at home! They're also known to be particularly inclined to anything with a nut or insect blend.
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Water
This one might seem a little obvious, but all birds need water for drinking and bathing, and that includes woodpeckers! Having a water source makes your garden really inviting to all birds, especially in the hot summer months, when they could really use a drink and a cooling splash in a birdbath.
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Having a bird-friendly garden can help promote a healthy local ecosystem as birds are an essential part of the environment. They can also be a delight to watch from the windows as you have your morning coffee. If you have any questions on what you can do to make sure your garden is bird-friendly, contact our team today and we'll do everything we can to guide you.
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