Woodpeckers : non-vocal sounds

Downy Woodpeckers drum more often in the early morning, and more often in spring, but drumming can be heard all year. Both sexes drum.
(male, 6.15 am, Apr, PA)










Same bird, same tree, but different-toned drum (tone varies with substrate),(Apr, PA).









A rapid sequence of drums (6.21am, Mar, PA).


The Red-bellied Woodpecker drum is very similar in speed to the Downy's, but may average lower in pitch.
(Feb, PA)










(Apr, PA)












Downy (higher-pitched) and Red-bellied Woodpecker drumming together (Apr, PA).

time scale reduced










The drums of the Hairy Woodpecker and of the Northern Flicker (usually) have a faster speed than the drums of the Downy and Red-bellied Woodpecker.


The Hairy Woodpecker drums less often, the drum rate is twice as fast, and drums are usually spaced further apart compared to the Downy.
Hairy Woodpecker male (April, PA).










In this case, a Hairy Woodpecker drummed more frequently (May, RI).


Compare with a Downy Woodpecker drumming nearby on the same date.



Northern Flicker(male, Apr, PA).












(male, May, NJ)










A slower drum (May, NJ )










The Northern Flicker also has a softer drum that in these two examples was made after calling.
(after long call, Apr, NJ)








(after wika call, male, Mar, PA)



Male calling and drumming, with a second bird drumming softly (Apr, PA).


The Pileated Woodpecker has the lowest and longest drum. It trails off at the end.
(July, ME)







Male drumming on a dead trunk (June, PA).


The sound of wingbeats of a Pileated Woodpecker flying over my head (July, ME).




Red-Headed Woodpecker calls and drum, Brendan T Byrne State Forest in the New Jersey pine barrens (May).










Adult calling and drumming (Oct, PA).



Sapsuckers have an irregular drum. This is a Red-naped Sapsucker recorded in early July in Rocky Mountain National Park (Yellow-bellied Sapsucker would sound similar).












Woodpeckers make various tapping sounds when foraging, or for apparent display purposes.

This male Red-bellied Woodpecker was tapping below a nest-hole (Mar, PA).











Red-bellied Woodpecker tapping inside nest-hole, which attracted a female, also briefly heard tapping (Apr, PA).




A Downy Woodpecker tapping while foraging (Feb, PA).













Male Hairy Woodpecker tapping in close proximity to a female (Feb, PA).













Hairy Woodpecker excavating nest-hole (Mar, NJ).













Yellow-bellied Sapsucker making holes in a maple trunk for sap (Dec, PA).












Pileated Woodpecker loud tapping. Such low tapping is also heard during nest excavation and can be heard some distance away (June, PA).












Quieter tapping (June, PA).