The northern flicker, responsible for most woodpecker damage to Colorado homes, is identified in flight by a yellow or salmon tint under the wings and tail feathers. Control damage by exclusion, scare devices and preventive construction. Woodpeckers are 7 to 15 inches long, have short legs, sharp-clawed toes and stiff tails. Most woodpeckers feed on wood-boring Insects, Insects on trees and the ground, vegetable matter, berries or tree sap. Flickers have black spots on a tannish-white breast and belly.
Males have a black or red mustache extending from the gape of the beak to below the eyes.
Wooden shingles, cedar or redwood siding, metal or plastic guttering, television antennas and light posts are selected as drumming sites because these materials produce loud sounds. Woodpeckers frequently damage cedar, rough pine and redwood siding and some synthetic stucco exterior finishing. Plywood and Masonite are less frequently damaged. Drumming is most common in the spring during early morning and late afternoon and usually ends by July 1. Control Methods Woodpecker damage can be prevented or eliminated with several techniques including visual repellents, loud noises, exclusion, alternate construction materials and, least preferably, killing.