Quick Answers
Woodpeckers are dedicated parents who take great care of their young. Here are some quick answers about what woodpeckers do with their baby birds:
- Woodpeckers make holes in trees to build nests for raising their babies.
- The female lays between 3-5 white eggs inside the nest hole.
- Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for about 2 weeks until they hatch.
- Once hatched, the baby woodpeckers are called nestlings. The parents feed the nestlings for 3-4 weeks inside the nest.
- Woodpeckers feed their babies regurgitated insects and berries multiple times per hour.
- As the nestlings grow, the parents remove their poop sacs to keep the nest clean.
- After 3-4 weeks, the nestlings are ready to fly and leave the nest. The parents continue to care for them for several more weeks.
- Woodpeckers are fiercely protective of their nests and young. They may attack snakes, squirrels, and other predators that get too close.
Making the Nest
Woodpeckers make holes in trees in order to build their nests. They use their sharp, strong beaks to chisel out holes in dead trees or dead parts of live trees. This process can take up to a month for the woodpeckers to complete.
The nest holes are normally drilled anywhere from 5 to 60 feet above the ground. They are generally oval-shaped and very neat and smooth inside. Woodpeckers in North America typically make their entrance holes about 2-3 inches wide.
Woodpeckers prefer to nest in dead trees or dead limbs of live trees. Their nest holes provide insulation, protection from weather and predators. Some favorite tree species include cottonwoods, aspens, birch, sycamore and willow.
Both the male and female woodpecker work together to construct their nest. They take turns chiseling away at the tree to make the hole. Using their stiff tails as a brace, they can deliver hundreds or even thousands of blows with their beak to excavate the nest cavity.
Woodpeckers keep the nest clean as they go, removing wood chips and debris. They make the entrance hole neat and smooth so as not to leave sharp edges. Inside, the cavity is chiseled down to a depth of 8-24 inches.
The female takes over the interior decorating duties. She lines the bottom of the nest with soft wood chips that the male has strategically left behind. When complete, the nest has a cozy, circular chamber down inside the tree trunk. It’s now ready for their eggs.
Ideal Nest Trees
Dead trees and dead parts of live trees are ideal nest sites for woodpeckers for several reasons:
- The wood is softer and easier to excavate.
- There is less sap and better drainage.
- The tree is already compromised and won’t starve due to damage.
- Dead wood has less insect/ant inhabitants to infest the nest.
- The entrance hole can be built flush with the surface.
Nesting Behavior
Woodpeckers are territorial and usually nest as solitary pairs. They use drumming and calls to establish and defend their territory.
Some species are migratory and only use the nest during breeding season. Others occupy their nest cavities year-round and use them for winter shelter.
Old nests are often reused in subsequent years. Some cavities may be used for decades by generations of woodpeckers and other secondary cavity nesters like squirrels, owls and ducks.
In healthy forests, woodpeckers play a key ecological role by excavating cavities later used by up to 15+ other species unable to make their own.
Egg Laying and Incubation
Once the nest is ready, the female woodpecker lays her eggs inside. Clutch size ranges from 3 to 5 glossy white eggs depending on the species.
The eggs are laid at the rate of 1 per day. They are pointy oval shapes, about the size of a large olive. The smooth white shells help keep them clean inside the wood cavity.
Both parents take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm and protected. This is called incubating. The male often incubates at night.
Incubation lasts for 10-14 days before the eggs start to hatch. The young begin to hatch in the order the eggs were laid. Both parents help to remove bits of eggshell from the nest as the babies emerge.
Egg Incubation Process
Here are some key facts about the woodpecker egg incubation process:
- The incubation period ranges from 10-14 days depending on species.
- Parents trade off, with the female incubating the most during the day.
- Body heat transfers to eggs when sitting on them.
- Eggshells have pores for gas exchange.
- Parents turn the eggs periodically to prevent sticking.
- Cooler temperatures can prolong incubation.
- Hatching order matches laying order, 1 per day.
- Both parents help remove cracked eggshells from the nest.
Egg Predators
Woodpecker eggs face threats from various predators that may raid the nest. Common egg predators include:
- Squirrels
- Chipmunks
- Snakes
- Tree-climbing predators like martens and rats
- Carrion birds like crows and ravens
- Hawks, falcons, and owls
That’s why woodpeckers choose high, hard to reach nest sites. They also defend the nest cavity aggressively against intruders. Still, predators manage to raid many woodpecker nests and destroy eggs each breeding season.
Caring for Nestlings
Once the woodpecker nestlings hatch from their eggs, both parents work together to care for and feed the young. This intensive stage lasts for the next 3-4 weeks.
New hatchlings are blind and helpless with sparse white downy feathers. They huddle together in the bottom of the nest cavity for warmth and protection.
The adult woodpeckers immediately begin gathering food to feed their offspring. The chicks have a voracious appetite and grow rapidly on a diet of regurgitated insects and berries.
As the only way into the nest is via the entrance hole, the adults pass the food to the chicks through this opening. This goes on from dawn to dusk as the babies beg loudly for more food.
Insects make up the majority of their diet. Some favorites are beetle larvae, ants, caterpillars, crickets, millipedes, centipedes, and roaches. Berries and nuts add variety.
The nestlings poop inside their nest and the parents have to keep it clean. The adult presses on the chick’s belly to make it poop, then eats the fecal sac and carries it away.
After about 3-4 weeks, the young are nearly adult size and ready to fly. The parents coax them out of the nest to teach them independence. They continue to care for them and train them for several more weeks.
Nestling Growth
Woodpecker nestlings grow and develop rapidly under the constant care of their parents. Here’s an overview:
- Eyes open at 3-7 days old.
- Downy head feathers emerge around 7 days.
- Parents brood young to keep them warm early on.
- Crop sac develops for storing food from parents.
- Gain up to 1/3 of weight in a single day.
- Flight feathers start growing around 14 days.
- Leave nest at 3-4 weeks old.
- Juvenile plumage develops after leaving nest.
- Parents continue to care for them out of nest.
Proper nutrition and a safe environment allows woodpecker nestlings to transform from naked, helpless hatchlings into adept juveniles ready to spread their wings and fly!
Predators of Nestlings
Woodpecker nestlings face predators trying to grab them from the nest cavity. Some common nest predators include:
- Snakes – can reach into cavity (rat snakes, racers, etc.)
- Chipmunks
- Squirrels
- Weasels
- Raccoons
- Cats
- Hawks, owls, and other birds of prey
Adult woodpeckers aggressively defend the nest from predators. They may harass, peck, frighten, or even kill snakes or mammals that get too close. But crafty predators still manage to raid many nests each season.
Leaving the Nest
After about 3-4 weeks of growth and development, woodpecker nestlings are ready to leave the nest. This is a vulnerable transition time as they take their first flights.
Tree cavities are cramped, so the energetic young start peering out the hole weeks before fledging. The adults incite them to eventually take the leap.
Leaving the nest is a graduated process. At first the fledglings fly only short distances to a nearby branch. The parents still feed and care for them out of the nest.
As their flight skills strengthen over several weeks, the young woodpeckers start following their parents on longer flights. This family group remains together until the juveniles can feed and fend for themselves.
Throughout this post-fledging period, the adults continue training the young on foraging skills and predator awareness. They protect and feed them until independence.
Fledgling Process
Here are some key points about the fledgling process as woodpecker nestlings leave the nest:
- Around 3-4 weeks old, ready to take first flights.
- Parents tempt young out by flying with food.
- First hops are to nearby branches and tree trunks.
- Gaining flight strength takes several weeks.
- Parents demonstration key skills post-fledging.
- Family group stays together for several more weeks.
- Young are fed and cared for until independence.
The fledgling phase is full of lessons as the juvenile woodpeckers hone their flight skills and transition towards independence under the watchful eye of their parents.
Fledgling Mortality
The fledgling phase right after leaving the nest is the most hazardous for young woodpeckers. Threats include:
- Starvation – if parents cannot find enough food.
- Predators – especially on early flights.
- Weather – being unprepared for severe storms.
- Accidents – collisions due to poor flight skills.
- Territory fights – disputes with other woodpeckers.
Parents try diligently to protect fledglings, but often a few young do not make it through this high-risk transition stage. Those that do stand a good chance of reaching adulthood.
| Age | Stage | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0-2 weeks | Hatchlings | Naked and helpless in nest |
| 2-4 weeks | Nestlings | Rapid growth in nest |
| 4-8 weeks | Fledglings | Leave nest, learn to fly |
Conclusion
Woodpeckers are dedicated parents and go to great lengths to successfully raise their young. They build an insulated nest cavity, share incubation duties, ward off predators, and work together to gather food.
After incubating the eggs for 2 weeks, the adults devote 3-4 intensive weeks to caring for the hatchlings inside the nest. They feed them constantly to stimulate rapid growth.
When the nestlings are developed enough, the parents coax them to leave the nest and start flying. They continue to protect and train the fledglings for several more weeks before independence.
With determination and teamwork, a woodpecker pair can successfully raise a hardy new generation of woodpeckers. Their parental devotion ensures their young survive to propagate the species.
