Originally published at: Woodpecker, perhaps tired of being ignored, shows plastic slide who's boss | Boing Boing
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bbs video link
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Woodpeckers also do that as a mating call. And considering how LOUD that metal slide is, that little fella is probably bringing ALL the ladies a-running! (Disclaimer: I’m pretty sure the red strip on his head makes him a male, but if I’m mis-gendering you, little bird, I apologize!)
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They also do that to vinyl siding too. I have issues with a yellow bellied sap sucker doing damage to my siding.
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Yeah - my thoughts exactly. Far from being unproductive pecking/drilling, that may be the most productive he has ever been!
ETA Correction: This may be the most reproductive he has ever been!
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Flickers will do this on just about any metal surface during spring. I had one hammering away on one of my chimney’s a week or two back. You could hear it through the entire house. My favourite, though, is watching them to do this on those large metal tubes up on the hydro lines. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before one of them electrocutes itself.
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Early one Sunday morning, Mrs.Bashful and I were awoken by a loud banging on the roof. Standing in the front yard, I could see one of these flickers hammering on the aluminum surrounding one of the roof vents. A very effective signal.
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Get that bird a drum kit!
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L’il fella felt his song was so good, it needed a drum solo, too.
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There was a woodpecker who visited my neighbor’s metal chimneycap every morning about 30 minutes after daybreak. It hammered that cap for 10 minutes or so until every animal within a quarter-mile knew it was there. Cute, at first. Then not.
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Sounds like a German MG-3 machine gun.
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How does it not get a concussion from all that? Asking for an NHL player friend…
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tldr; Specialized skull bones and neck muscles.
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One season I had a woodpecker friend who would hammer on the transom window frame in my bedroom for a minute or so at the same time every morning, then have a big fight with his reflection for another few minutes. Lasted a month or so.
Clearly in the bird’s mind, he won.
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Hey, it’s a flicker! We have those around here.
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The McMansion across the street has big faux pillars on either side of the front door. Shortly after it was built, a woodpecker drilled through the outer surface into what looked like a foam core, making several large holes.
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Yup. The flickers hammering away on the gutters every morning is a sure sign of spring for me. When we first moved in to our house, we were sure something was wrong with the water heater or furnace.
Now the vultures that migrate into the neighborhood every year are even cooler. I’m glad they don’t care for our trees. Vulture crap is really nasty.
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I saw two turkey vultures on the way back from the range on Thursday! They were eating a dead snake in the road!
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Pretty sure thats a metal slide. Little guy could probably make swiss cheese out of plastic
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