Breeding courtship begins in January - February with both sexes drumming on resonant wood to establish territories and to advertise their presence to the opposite sex. Both sexes excavate nest site. Sometimes will use nest boxes built just for woodpeckers. Both sexes incubate eggs, chicks hatch after about 12 days, two weeks later they can been seen at the entrance hole, one week after that they are ready to fly. Both parents feed insects to chicks every 3 minutes on average until they are ready to fly.
Chicks follow parents until they can find their own food.
We receive many calls at TRAC in January and February as these pretty little woodpeckers start their drumming sessions. Since the drumming sound is made with their strong beaks against the wood, sometimes some major house damage can occur in a short period of time. There is a safe, non-toxic solution though that works most of the time. They hate the taste and will frequently go elsewhere to drum. These pretty birds do come readily to suet, and the cheapest and best suet is the kind you can make at home.