Formerly called the Sparrow Hawk, the American Kestrel eats insects and small rodents. They are cavity nesters and will nest in man made boxes.

Range: American Kestrels are widely distributed across the Americas Northern populations are migrant, some moving as far south as Central America. The Kestrel breeds from Alaska and Northwest Territories east to Maritime Provinces, and south throughout continent. They winter north to British Columbia, Great Lakes and New England. Their breeding range extends from central and western Alaska through northern Canada to Nova Scotia and south throughout North America, into central Mexico, the Baja, and the Caribbean. They are la breeding species in Central America and are widely distributed throughout South America.

Food: A beneficial bird to have around, the American Kestrel consumes rodents, insects, birds, lizards and snakes. They have tominal tooth in beak, meaning an extra notch. A kestrel’s summer diet is largely comprised of insects, particularly grasshoppers, moths, caterpillars, beetles, and crickets. The birds can take their prey while in flying, but they make most of their larger kills on the ground. In winter, they are mainly dependent on small birds and mammals. Kestrels are also known to feed on lizards, carrion, amphibians, bats, earth-worms, and spiders, endeavoring daily to consume the 20 to 25 percent of their body weight they need to endure

Habitat: Lives in towns and cities, parks, farmlands, along highways and in open land. Kestrels prefer open country, mountains, moors or grasslands. Nesting: American Kestrels is cavity nest dwelling species and will nest in man made houses. They often make use of abandoned woodpecker holes. 4-6 eggs are laid and the females do most of the incubating, while the male incubates eggs for male-4 hours per day. Incubation lasts about 29-30 days. Both male and female have brood patches. Nestling first flight usually occurs between 28-31 days. Nest boxes can be placed in open areas as well as woodland edges, and mounted on posts or trees. Nest boxes should be faced eastward and in an open area. Mount boxes 15 to 30 feet above the ground. Provide two or three inches of wood shavings in the box each year before the nesting season.

Further Projects to Attract Kestrels
Add Perches to open areas: Fields without trees or other natural roosts leave kestrels without a base to view their hunting grounds. Although they will hunt by hovering when air current conditions are correct, establishing artificial perches in clear areas increases the odds they will prefer your field or clearing for hunting their prey. One plan for building perches is to install a 1/2-inch-diameter PVC pipe, 12 to 15 feet in length, erect in the ground. A foot-long piece of pvc pipe should be added on to the top of the longer piece to form a “T-shaped” perch for the birds.

Shop for American Kestrel Houses at American Kesteral Bird House.

Common Flicker:

Range and Habitat:
The Northern Flicker can be found throughout most wooded regions of North America and are residents from Alaska east and south throughout the U.S. birds in the most northern regions of their range are are migratory. They require some open area and do not nest in the center of thick forests but breed in almost all other forest types. Outside of the breeding season they also are regular visitors to other open areas. Flickers prefer woodland edges and open woodlands approaching open areas, savannas, pastures, orchards, fields, meadows, forest clearings, urban parks, suburban lawns or along fence rows bordering crop fields. Northern Flickers can be found throughout most wooded areas of North America, and they are familiar birds in most suburban environments.

Diet:
Unlike most other woodpeckers, Northern Flickers are primarily ground feeders although they will forage on tree trunks and limbs probing with their bill, also sometimes catching insects in flight. The diet of the Northern Flickers consists mainly of ants but also take other insects and some fruit, seeds, and berries. Ants alone may make up 45% of their diet.
They have a behavior known as anting, during which they use the acid from the ants to help in preening, as it is effective in keeping them free of parasites.

Attracting to feeders: Suet, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, fruit, meat, and bread. Fruit: apples, blueberries, cherries, plums, raspberries, strawberries.

Nesting:
Their breeding habitat is forested areas across North America and as far south as Central America. Flickers prefer to nest in dead trees. Both sexes excavate a cavity from 10 to 90 feet above the ground, taking approximately 1 to 2 weeks to build the nest. If natural cavities are available, the Flicker will select one of these as an alternative of creating one of its own. They can be attracted nest in man made houses. In regions where cavities are in short supply, Flickers will compete with other cavity nesters such as Starlings, Kestrels, and other species of woodpeckers. The nest has no nesting materials but the chips are left at the bottom of the hole to make a bed. Generally 6 to 8 eggs are laid, with a shell that is solid white with a smooth surface and high sheen. The eggs are the second largest of the North American woodpecker species, surpassed only by the Pileated Woodpecker’s. Eggs are incubated by both parents and hatch in about 12 days. The young are fed by regurgitation and depart the nest about 25 to 28 days after hatching. They are sometimes driven from nesting sites by European Starlings.

Shop for Northern Flicker bird houses at Northern or Common Flicker Bird Houses.

The Carolina wren is an adaptable dweller of forest lands, urban gardens, swamps, farms, and tree filled human areas. We often see them in our backyards as well as hear their lusty songs in the neighborhood. It is one of nine species of wrens that occur in North America. The male and female Carolina Wren look alike with the male being slightly larger. Range: Primarily the southeastern United states north to central parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and southern New England Diet: Carnivore - Various insects, spiders and occasionally small frogs. They will readily visit backyard bird feeders. Habitat: Woodland thickets, brush, urban gardens with shrubbery. Average Lifespan: in the wild 6 years Size: 12-14 cm (5-6 in) Wingspan: 29 cm (11 in) Weight: 18-22 g (0.64-0.78 ounces) Nesting: 4-5 brown spotted whitish eggs. Nest is a domed and made of sticks with a feather lining. They will nest in hollow stumps, stone walls, thickets, and other small crevices. These birds are small but very vocal and have one of the loudest songs per volume. Anyone who has been around these little birds know that they are willing to burst into song anytime, anywhere. They differ from other wren species due to the fact that only the male Carolina Wren sings the their loud song. Carolina wrens are usually found in pairs, with each pair staying within it’s home territory throughout the year. The Carolina Wren is sensitive to cold weather, and those within the northern ranges of their territory see a decrease in population after a severe winter. They do not migrate. Their range has expanded northward during the nineteenth century and this is thought to be due to gradually increasing winter temperatures. They eat insects and spiders, for the most part, either on or near the ground in areas close to moderate and heavy undergrowth. They are abundant in the Eastern states and a desirable bird in your garden - their loud, spontaneous bursting into song is a joy and they are characters who get into everything. Carolina Wrens are abundant and live easily in a backyard habitat. While they seem to be around and very busy, they may or may not actually often eat at feeders but simply dive in when they choose, take a morsel and go about their foraging way. They are very attracted to water, so include a bird bath in your birding habitat. Our little Carolina wrens are partial to a small dust bath we have which has wood ash in it. Plants: Bushy Shrubs for nesting and hunting. Feeder: Carolina Wrens eat insects and spiders, for the most part, and tend to forage the ground near or under bushy shrubbery. The can be attracted to suet and prefer it over any food we have at our backyard feeding stations. Our experience has been that one of their favorite treats is shelled peanuts and we see them far more on our open platform feeders, cling style suet or cling to, mesh or wire nut feeders than we see them on bird feeders with perches or tube styles. We rarely see them eat sunflower seed, their preference seems to be peanuts and suet, but we have heard others who do attract wrens with black oil sunflower seed. This is our personal experience only. Wrens, being wrens, will do whatever they dang well please. The little wren in the above photo is on one of our bird feeders. It is a double tail prop suet feeder such as this: Of course the tiny wren does not require a suet feeder this large, but it is a good size for the bigger woodpeckers. You can shop for a large selection of suet feeders at: Suet Wild Bird Feeders. The wren is feeding on a berry suet dough. Since it is summer here, er have out no-melt dough. They have shown us a preference for suets with fruit, raisins or peanuts in it. You can shop for several flavors at: Suet and No Melt Dough Bird Food. Wren Bird Houses Bird House: For a Carolina Wren bird house, use the height above ground: 5-10″. Nests are dome shaped with a side entrance and built from bark strips, dried grasses, dead leaves, sticks, pine needles, mosses, feathers, straw, shed snake skin, paper and string. Nests are then lined with hair or fur. They are not often more than 12 feet above the ground. Providing wrens with nesting materials is great fun, so if you have wrens, try adding some of their preferred materials during breeding season to your yard to encourage them to stay. A Carolina wren will readily use a bird house to nest. They will also readily use your hanging plants, mailbox, a tin can, sheds, potted plants, garage if you leave the door open, your pocket if you stand still too long, or anything else they feel like exploring. We have chased them out of our grill and from under the covers of large propane tanks, and other unsafe places for them to build houses. We have found Carolina wrens nesting in thickets on the ground. They are known to build multiple nests in order to confuse predators, and each year we consider it officially spring when we have to start explaining to the wrens that it would be very kind of them to make use of the special wren boxes we have provided instead of our garage. Providing a house for the wrens helps them nest in safer areas. Our favorite wren bird house is not fancy, but in our opinion the best. It’s well suited for them and provides drainage, ventilation as well as natural coloring so the bird house isn’t bright and visible to predators. We have had them nest in our yard in this box. Shop for Wren bird houses at Wren Bird Houses. Summary: Attract Carolina Wrens with shrubby hedges, suet, water, nesting materials and bird houses.

Red headed woodpeckers are among our favorite backyard birds. They are a beautiful member of the woodpecker family and a welcomed guest in a garden habitat.

Range: Red-headed Woodpeckers range from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast, east of the Rocky Mountains and west of New England. The home range of red-headed woodpeckers varies from year to year, depending on food availability. Their migration habits seem to depend on the availability of winter foods, in particular acorns and beech nuts. During most years, birds from the northern parts of the breeding range move southward in winter.

Diet: Red-headed woodpeckers are among the most omnivorous woodpecker species and about half of their diet consists of vegetable food. a diet which includes insects, beetles, ants, and grasshoppers, spiders, earthworms, nuts, seeds, berries, fruit and occasionally small mammals. They are known to eat young or eggs from the nests of bluebirds, house sparrows and chickadees.

Unlike other woodpeckers, red-headed woodpeckers rarely drill holes to find insects. While they will sometimes do this, flying insects are more important to their diet. They will often fly out from a perch after flying insects or drop to the ground to capture prey. Like their relative the acorn woodpecker, the red-headed woodpecker will store winter food in crevices, cracks and naturally occurring holes. They do not make their own holes for storing food - if a bit of nut will not fit into a crevice, red-headed woodpeckers break the nut into pieces rather than modifying the crevice make the food fit inside. Sometimes they seal their caches with chips of wood or twigs in order to hide it from scavengers. Red-headed woodpeckers will also store large insects or beetles for short periods.

Habitat: They are birds of wooded savannas, open woodlands, open country farms, park like woodlands, golf courses, orchards, suburbia and agricultural lands. They like open agricultural and orchards areas in particular with dead and dying trees, areas with open undergrowth and places where they may forage the ground. In the East, old mature woodlots with some undergrowth as well as suburbs and agricultural areas are typical redhead habitats, whereas in the South, clearings with tall stumps are used.They are uncommon throughout much of their range, and most abundant in open forests of the Midwest. Once a common bird throughout much of the Northeast, the red-headed woodpecker has declined with competition from European Starlings for nesting sites.

Average Lifespan: 9 years in wild

Size: 19-23 cm (7-9 in)

Wingspan: 42 cm (17 in)

Weight: 56-91 g (1.98-3.21 ounces)

Nesting: 4-5 white eggs in a cavity dwelling in trees, telephone poles, fence posts. The nest has no lining. The males red-headed woodpecker excavates a nest cavity in a barkless, dead tree trunk or limb 6′ to 75′ above ground. Both sexes share in the incubation and feeding of baby birds, with the females increasingly assuming the task as the nestlings grow older. At this time the male will sometimes begin another excavation for a second brood.

For a bird house designed specifically for red headed woodpeckers, see the box below. We can not speak from personal experience as we have not had red headed woodpeckers nest on our property (we wish!) however, this house is designed by a company we respect, made from materials and a design we have had great success with for other bird species. It features good drainage, ventilation and an entrance guard to keep down wood damage when woodpeckers drum. This particular bird house is designed to be suited for three species of woodpeckers: the Hairy, Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers.

Red Headed Woodpecker House

The red-headed woodpecker is a cavity dwelling bird known to use man made bird houses and nesting boxes. Thy can be driven off from their natural nesting sites in dead trees by aggressive European Starlings, so if you place boxes specifically for red-headed woodpeckers, monitor them and remove any starling nests. Placing bird houses for red-headed woodpeckers helps conservation efforts due to the decline of their natural nesting sites.

Attracting Red-Headed Woodpecker

Plants: Dogwood, serviceberry, tupelo, holly, mountain ash, strawberry, grapes, bayberry, cherry, blueberries, apples, mulberry, brambles and elderberries.

At a Bird Feeder: Black oil sunflower seed and suet bird food are best used to attract red-headed woodpeckers. Sometimes they will feed on grapes, raisins or apples. Use these on an open platform feeder for seeds and fruit, and a suet feeder for suets for best results.

Summary: Attract Red Headed Woodpeckers with suet, black oil sunflower seed on platform feeders, fruits and berries, bird houses and dead trees if you can leave them on property.

Red-headed woodpeckers are protected under the US Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They are listed as a near-threatened species by the IUCN.

This is not a bird that we personally see any more so please, if you have them, leave us a comment let us know about it! Tell us if they visit backyard feeders, what they eat at a feeder and if they have ever nested in a man made box on your property. It will help the next visitor who comes along. We miss the red headed woodpeckers that used to visit us quite a bit.

A list of hummingbird species which can be found in the United States and their ranges

Allen’s Hummingbird, Selasphorus sasin - Endemic
Distribution: Arizona, coastal California and Channel Islands, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts - Nantucket, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vancouver Island, B.C. Some birds migrate between Baja and coastal California, while others are year-round California residents.

Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna -
Distribution: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and British Columbia (resident on Vancouver Island).

Berylline Hummingbird, Saucerottia beryllina
Distribution: Rare. Chiricahua Mountains of southeast Arizona, and in New Mexico. Winters in Mexico.

Black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri
Distribution: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.

Blue-throated Hummingbird, Lampornis clemenciae
Distribution: Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. Winters in Mexico.

Broad-billed Hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris
Distribution: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Ontario. Winters in Mexico.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus
Distribution: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and Manitoba. Winters in Mexico.

Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Amazilia yucatanensis
Distribution: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Winters in eastern coastal Mexico.

Calliope Hummingbird, Stellula calliope
Distribution: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. Winters in west-central Mexico.

Costa’s Hummingbird, Calypte costae
Distribution: Alaska, Arizona, California, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and British Columbia. Winters in SE California, SW Arizona, NW Sonora, and Baja. Costa’s don’t migrate very long distances, and can be among the first migrant birds to arrive in the spring.

Lucifer Hummingbird, Calothorax lucifer
Distribution: Observed in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Winters central Mexico.

Magnificent (Rivoli’s) Hummingbird, Heliodoxa fulgensS
Distribution: Observed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Winters in Mexico.

Ruby throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris
Distribution: Distribution: Ruby throats breed throughout eastern to Midwestern North America, from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and winter primarily in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands. A few are reported to remain in the US Gulf states and Outer Banks of North Carolina. The ruby throated hummingbird makes an amazing non-stop crossing of the Gulf to it’s winter home (and back), taking 18-20 hours to make the flight. In the spring arrive at the coast in late February or early March, and follow the development of spring flowers. In fall, males migrate earlier than females, some adult males starting south as early as July. Females usually leave at the end of September in the southeast. Juveniles depart last, after the females, with the last juveniles leaving suddenly at first frost which is usually around mid-October. By mid-November, the ruby throat has usually finished migrating from the United states. We keep our hummingbird feeders out until Early November.

Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus
Distribution: Observed in every state and province except Hawaii, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. Rufous is the most widely distributed hummingbird in North America. Winters in Mexico and possibly Panama.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Amazilia violiceps
Distribution: Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Winters in Mexico.

White-eared Hummingbird, Hylocharis leucotis
Distribution: Arizona, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas. Winters in mountains of Mexico.

Xantus’s Hummingbird
Xantus’ is a Mexican hummingbird normally found only in Baja California but at one point a nest was found in southern California. However, no chicks fledged. In 1997 a single bird was observed in British Columbia.

Shop online for Hummingbird Feeders or see our selection of Pre-Made Hummingbird Food and Nectar Concentrate.