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Will Red bellied and Red headed woodpeckers use same feeders?

13 years ago

It never occurred to me until tonight that the Gardenweb might have a birding forum. I'm excited to find you!

I've had a pair of Red Headed Woodpeckers visiting my feeders for close to two weeks. Typically I always have Red Bellied Woodpeckers but just realized that I haven't been seeing them. Is it possible that they stopped coming to the feeders because of the Red Headed Woodpeckers? Another thought is concerning me. This is the first year that I have put grape jam out for the Orioles. The Red Bellies were eating a lot of it. Is it possible that the jam was not good for them?

Thanks! Linda Renee (Ohio)

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Comments (3)

donald lucius
13 years ago
don't know about your woodpeckers but i have a pair of lewis's woodpeckers who have nested here last 3 years.
i also have lots of orioles and i put out fruit and jelly and watermelon for the orioles, the young Lewis's love the jelly and watermelon and eat lots of fruit and they come back every year. i also have downeys and hairys and flickers that use the same feeders as the Lewis's
cjc45
13 years ago
I've never had red heads at the feeder but I've regularly had red-bellied and downy woodpeckers at the same time. The red-bellied used to run off the starlings. Those big bills are useful in more ways than one. :>)
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When you all talk about suet, do you mean the packaged gooey stuff that goes in the square green wired baskets, or the bell-shaped thingy with seeds all over it? Or something enrirely different?? Terrene, what is a log? Can you post a picture of what you all are talking about? Oh, and I did see the woodpecker yesterday evening, but not at my feeder. He (actually she) was flying from one tree to another. It was funny watching her. On the tree she stopped at, she landed on the trunk and hopped backwards (down the trunk) and then after a little pecking, hopped back upwards.
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frank_il
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Yes, they will use the same feeder, but they may not use them them at the same time. RH WPs are pretty aggressive. Mine used to make sure that nothing else used them while they are around.

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