One of my favorite birds to spot as a young boy growing up is the Red-Headed Woodpecker.
Many mornings I would be squirrel hunting and hear one sounding off nearby.
I always enjoyed that.
I enjoyed seeing and hearing them very much in those days.
However, it was not until I was much older that I gained a deeper understanding of what that pecking sound meant.
As far as I knew it was just the sound it made as it pecked holes in the trees to catch bugs and create nests.
The truth is that singing and shrilling sounds that birds make are not their only means of using sound for communication.
We always think that birds communicate through singing.
However, a lot of birds have developed other ways to get their point across.
Some Non-Verbal Communicating Techniques When establishing territories and in courting many birds use sounds they make with their bills, feet, and wings.
It is true that most of the birds resorting to these methods are lacking in singing abilities.
The Albatross and some storks clack use bill clattering for producing the sounds they need.
Here in North America you can hear the ruffed grouse drumming on the side of a log.
You will also find that many species of woodpecker also engage in some loud drumming and will drum on most any handy materials like- • Hollow Branches • Trash Cans • Metal Gutters • Drainpipes • Stovepipes and more.
The drumming method of communication is also used by birds like the Northern Flicker and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Birds have the ability to alter their wing spacing and tail feathers creating a vibrating effect.
They can produce a variety of sounds like whistling, buzzing, rattling, and more.
Many of these sounds can be produced while flying.
This is where the 'hummingbird' got its name.
There are eight species of hummingbird in North America that employ these wind-and-feather sounds for communication purposes.
Breeding And Diet Of The Red-Headed Woodpecker They breed in open areas where there are scattered trees and they prefer oaks and beech trees.
They like places that have been cleared or burned.
They love parks.
They usually produce two broods.
They eat a lot of things like- • Acorns • Beechnuts • Insects • Bird Eggs • Mice • Corn • Fruit • Berries • Various Seeds • Nestlings (occasionally adult birds) They will take food like acorns, beechnuts, and insects, and break them for storage into natural made cavities.
They feed their young spiders, worms, berries, and insects.
Nesting And Eggs They will generally nest in bark-less dead trees or find a dead stub hanging off a live tree.
Where trees are scarce they have been known to nest in poles, roofs, and fences.
They line the nests with chips and will take advantage of natural cavities.
They will avoid nesting in birdhouses.
It has been reported that the reason for the decrease in the number of Red-headed Woodpeckers is because of a loss of natural habitat.
This has caused many of them to nest in creosole-coated utility poles which proved lethal to their eggs and young.
The Red-Headed Woodpecker carries a certain majesty that I will never forget.
I always count it a good day when I get to see one of these beautiful wildbirds out in the woods.