The bird is grayish brown and black with a patch of red on the back of the head.
Males drum or peck on the side of homes, drumming to proclaim their territory.
Occasionally, holes may be drilled for nesting sites. Scare the birds away with strips of aluminum foil or tin foil, or plastic bags tacked to the side of the house. Place nesting box on a pole or tree six to twenty feet off the ground. Add 2 inches of soil or sawdust to the bottom of the box. Copyright 1995 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.