Book 11, Question 123
Why Do Woodpeckers Carve Nest Holes in Trees?
Woodpeckers carve nest holes in trees because a hole in a trunk is a safe, dry home! It keeps eggs away from most predators. And old holes help other animals, too.
More fun facts
- A downy woodpecker pair digs its nest hole together, usually in a dead limb of a living or dead tree.
- Digging the hole takes 7 to 20 days and starts about two weeks before the eggs are laid.
- Downy woodpecker eggs hatch after about 12 days, and the male usually sits on them at night.
- The chicks leave the nest hole 18 to 21 days after hatching.
- Old downy woodpecker holes may later become homes for other birds that nest in tree holes.
- The pileated woodpecker uses its chisel-shaped bill to carve nest holes about 8 inches wide and 2 feet deep.
- Because its holes give homes to many other species, the pileated woodpecker may be a keystone species.
- Pileated woodpeckers also sleep in tree holes at night, often in hollow trees with several entrances.
Sources: animaldiversity.org, animaldiversity.org
Questions kids ask
Where do downy woodpeckers nest?
Usually in a hole the pair digs together in a dead limb of a tree.
Who uses old woodpecker holes?
Other cavity nesting animals move in after woodpeckers leave.