A common sight (and sound) is that of woodpeckers busily pounding away at tree trunks or even stopping by backyard bird feeders for a free suet feast. Most American and British birdwatchers are only acquainted with a few local species, yet the family is surprisingly extensive, with over 230 species recognized globally.
Ever wonder where woodpeckers go after dark or when they go to sleep?
Woodpeckers are nocturnal avian species that hibernate in tree cavities and other protected areas. Although some may utilise pre-existing natural or artificial cavities, and others will just cling to the bark of trees or other structures, adults often create their own holes in tree trunks and bigger limbs.
This comprehensive book is ideal for anybody interested in learning more about the sleeping habits of woodpeckers. Discover where, when, and how Woodpeckers sleep by reading on.
Nuttall’s Woodpecker in picture. The hardworking woodpeckers are often seen tapping away at tree timbers.
Basics of Bird Sleep
Every day, birds sleep to recharge and recuperate from their daily adventures. Although nocturnal birds like owls usually sleep during the day, most species snooze at night. Some birds, like shorebirds and ducks, are active day and night, thus bird sleep patterns aren’t always so obvious.
Because it’s not always feasible to stop and rest, some birds have evolved the incredible ability to sleep while in flight! Perhaps you’re wondering how they stay from crashing. These birds, however, sleep with one eye open because they have developed a unique method known as unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, which causes one side of their brain to shut down.
For certain birds, such as huge seabirds that spend weeks in the air, this kind of sleep is essential, but Woodpeckers would rather spend the night in a warm hollow. Like humans, sleeping birds go through phases of both REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep, although their cycles are far shorter.
This comprehensive resource will teach you a lot more about the sleeping habits of birds.
Woodpeckers like to spend the night in a warm cavity.
Typically, woodpeckers dig holes in tree trunks and bigger limbs to sleep in. These might be holes made especially for roosting, or recycled nest cavities. Usually not as deep as nests, purpose-built roost chambers may be constructed in a matter of days.
They may utilise birdhouses and nest boxes, or they could roost in naturally occurring cavities. These birds sometimes decide to dig roosts in wood-sided homes or utility poles; occasionally, they even employ synthetic materials like foam board.
While some woodpeckers dig their holes in live wood, the majority do it in dead trees or in sections of live trees that have rotted heartwood due to fungal disease. Some, like the Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus), are very happy to spend their nights in naturally protected locations such as spaces between closely spaced trunks, hollow logs, or deep furrows in the bark.
Although woodpeckers may have many roost sites, they seldom share roost chambers; hence, each bird has to construct or locate its own sleeping area. After the nesting season, if you see a woodpecker excavating a new hole, it’s most likely hard at work constructing a bedroom for the winter.
Because location matters, winterizing roost chambers are often shielded from the main wind to aid in the sleeping birds’ ability to stay warm.
Black-backed Woodpecker in picture. This species is happy to roost in places that are naturally protected, such as hollow logs.
Where Do Young Woodpeckers Sleep?
Nest cavity is where woodpecker chicks are nurtured and where they will sleep until they can fly. The fledglings will roost outside after leaving the nest until they locate a suitable cavity or dig one by themselves.
The nest hole provided refuge for the young rufous woodpeckers.
At the bottom of a hollow, woodpeckers may sleep in an upright sitting posture or, more often, they will cling to the vertical inner wall. To stay warm, they tuck in their bills, bend their necks back, and puff up their feathers.
When they sleep, birds that roost outside of cavities also cling to vertical surfaces, such as a tree’s bark or even a wall of a home. Although it may not seem pleasant to spend the whole night clinging to a wall, woodpeckers are ideally suited for this behaviour.
Their strong, curved claws grab into the surface, and their stiffened tail feathers support them. Woodpeckers, in contrast to other birds, have two toes that point backward, which strengthens their grip and distributes their weight more equally over their fingers.
A Northern Flicker is seen. Two of the toes of woodpeckers point backward, which strengthens their grasp.
Woodpeckers are nocturnal birds that spend the night in their roost cavities or another protected area. They may enter their roost hole well before dusk and depart after daybreak the next day. Their roosting duration fluctuates throughout the year because to variations in day length.
During the day, woodpeckers may sometimes take short naps, particularly in inclement weather or when the weather is not conducive to foraging. They can do this by just hanging to a tree’s bark when they’re not in a roosting hole.
A larger-than-life Spotted Woodpecker is shown. During the day, woodpeckers cling to tree bark to take quick naps.
What Kinds of Dangers Do Woodpeckers Face at Night?
For woodpeckers, sleeping may be risky because of the constant threat of predators, frigid weather, and strong storms.
Nesting in cavities, particularly artificial roost holes on the wind-sheltered side of trees, offers superior weather protection and keeps off the majority of predators that are too big or ungainly to get to the sleeping bird.
Certain species have multiple exits in their hollow trunks where they sleep, such as the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), which gives them a constant means of escape. A separate tactic is used by the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis). These birds dig happily into live trees, such as long-leaf pines. This sticky entryway that is made when you dig into this resinous tree may have developed as a defence mechanism against intruders like snakes.
Unfortunately, lightning strikes and other severe weather conditions that might cause trees to fall or split apart are beyond the control of woodpeckers.
Certain species, such as the Pileated Woodpecker, have several exits in their hollow trunks where they sleep, giving them a means of escape at all times.
The Effects of Human Activity on Woodpecker Sleeping Patterns
It’s hard to estimate how much woodpeckers’ ability to sleep is affected by human activities. Numerous birds, such as woodpeckers, have evolved to live in suburban and even metropolitan settings where other human activity, road noise, and light pollution may be bothersome.
Some birds may have their activity patterns disturbed by artificial light, which enables them to go foraging at night. Woodpeckers seem to be adhering to their regular daily routine, nevertheless.
How to Encourage Healthful Sleeping Habits in Woodpeckers
If you want to make the area surrounding your home a healthier place for woodpeckers to roost, think about the following suggestions.
Although many species of woodpeckers may sleep in pre-existing holes, they still prefer to build their own nests. Before fall/autumn, birdwatchers may offer roosting areas and attract woodpeckers by putting out birdhouses or nest boxes.
Tree stumps and snags that do not provide a concern should be kept in place to give these birds places to rest and build their nests.
Local animals can roost in peace if you reduce light pollution (such as needless artificial lighting and floodlighting) and noise pollution (such as loud music and equipment) in your immediate surroundings.
FAQs
Do Woodpeckers sleep on their backs?
Woodpeckers enjoy sleeping erect, not reclining like humans. The majority of animals sleep by clinging to a vertical surface, such their roost cavity’s inside wall.
Do Woodpeckers ever go on an evening hunt?
Given that woodpeckers are nocturnal birds, it would be rather uncommon to see one in action after dusk. A sleeping bird may, however, travel a short distance after being startled by a person or a predator and then locate a new location to spend the night.
