How to Avoid Woodpeckers at a Hummingbird Feeder

Woodpeckers love sweet nectar, just like hummingbirds do. If you have a hummingbird feeder in your yard, chances are woodpeckers invade it from time to time. If you want to keep these pesky peckers away from your hummingbird feeder, there are a few simple steps you can take to do so.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Feeder without a perch
• Blank or old CD
• Plastic soda bottle
• Fruit
• Another bird feeder with perch

1. Purchase a hummingbird feeder without a perch. Some feeders come with perches attached to them, which makes it easier for woodpeckers and other birds to alight on the feeder and drink its sweet nectar. Do not buy this type of equipment.
   
   A feeder without a perch, which is the kind that you want, is generally oval in shape, and sometimes you can even find a circular variety that spins when a bird lands on it. The proper feeder should have only a small opening for the hummingbird's beak and no easy place for another bird to land.

2. Protect your hummingbird feeder. Hang an old or blank CD on the feeder's chain so that it rests on top of the feeder. This will upset the balance of any bird that tries to land on top of the feeder, and it will keep them from being able to lean over the top to reach the nectar. You can accomplish the same end by cutting a plastic soda bottle in half and hanging it on the feeder chain near the top, to block the top of the feeder and keep it from becoming a perching surface for other birds.

3. Attract the woodpeckers elsewhere. Hang pieces of fruit or other bird feeders in separate parts of your yard. This will draw the woodpeckers' attention elsewhere and keep them away from your hummingbird feeders.

References

• Birdwatching Bliss
• Wild Birds Unlimited