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Red-bellied woodpecker nesting, tree scheduled to be cut down

15 years ago

Hi Everyone,

This looks like the most appropriate forum from the list, but I apologize in advance if it is not.

We have red-bellied woodpeckers nesting in a dead tree that we've scheduled to be cut down soon. We had no idea there were birds living in it until today. We would never want to harm these birds, so we're going to postpone cutting down the tree. My question is about when we should cut it down. Is the fall a better time? Do woodpeckers stay in the tree beyond the spring/summer? The tree is completely dead and a hazard, so we don't want to postpone for too long.

Thank you for your advice and thoughts!

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Comments (7)

kendra2003
15 years ago
If it were me, I would watch and wait for their young to fledge. Fall would be fine, or even sooner if you know the young have left the nest. Let's just hope the tree doesn't fall down before they do.
gymell
15 years ago
Kudos to you for waiting! Most of my woodpeckers fledge in June. I'm in Minnesota. I don't think they have a second brood, so you should be fine after they fledge. Maybe contact your local birding community (I don't know where you live) to ask when red-bellied woodpeckers typically fledge in your area.
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organic_bassetlvr
15 years ago
That's great you are willing to wait! I've seen articles where folks take the section of tree that has the hole & cavity & keep it. Then attach it to another tree so the woodies will still nest in their yard. Sorry I don't remember exactly where-either Birdwatcher's Digest, Birds & Blooms, Wild Bird or Birder's World. Just a thought.
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cjc45
15 years ago
Leave as much of the trunk as you safely can and birds, especially cavity-nesting birds, may continue to use it.
koiviolet
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you for the advice! I'm in a suburb of Philadelphia. I'll try to find a local birding community to learn more about when red-bellied woodpeckers fledge. I'll also look into keeping that section of the tree.
bbcathy
15 years ago
How lucky!!! They don't usually use nest boxes just natural cavities so you really don't want to disturb them. The eggs hatch 12 to 14 days after incubation starts. If you watch closely you can usually tell b/c the parents will be shuttling food to the babies once they hatch. Then it is another 24 to 27 days until they fledge. Not long at all!!!
Save them please!! Thanks to the starlings not many of them ever hatch.
Cathy
rachel_frome_ky
15 years ago
Also, it's illegal to disturb nesting native birds. If you leave as much of the dead tree still standing as is safe the woodpeckers can find grubs there. In my yard I also pile trimmed brush and branches along the edge of the woods and Carolina Wrens nest in it

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