  
Woodpeckers prefer a nest box with
a roughened interior and a floor covered with a two-inch layer of
wood chips or coarse sawdust. For best results, place woodpecker
houses high up on a tree trunk exposed to direct sunlight.
The Downy Woodpecker occurs over the greater part of the North
American continent, from the Gulf States northwards. The Downy
Woodpecker is at home in a variety of wooded areas across its
range, in the northern mixed forests and in the deciduous forests
farther south, in woodlots and parklands, in orchards, and even
in the parks and avenues of suburb, town and city. It prefers
places where broad-leaved trees, such as poplars, birches and
ashes, let in the light among the evergreens. Forest edges and
areas around openings in the denser forests are also favored
places. In the western part of its range it can be found in alder
and willow growth. Downy Woodpecker pairs often return to the
same nesting area every year of their adult life.
Red-headed Woodpeckers range from southern Canada to the Gulf
Coast, east of the Rocky Mountains and west of New England. They
are birds of wooded savanna, open woodlands, riparian forests,
orchards, suburbia and agricultural lands. Preferred habitat
includes dead trees for use as nest sites, relatively open
undergrowth, and access to the ground for foraging. 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. Although uncommon
throughout much of their range, Red-headed Woodpeckers are most
abundant in the open forests of the Midwest.
Northern Flickers are found throughout the North American
continent from below the tree line in Alaska and Canada to
Mexico, Central America, and Cuba. Flickers live in a variety of
woodland habitats. They have adapted well to human habitation and
occur in urban, suburban, and rural areas, in parks, and near
farms and woodlots. They nest near clearings or other open areas,
at forest edges, and in forests interspersed with meadows,
fields, and clear-cuts. Nests are also found in savannas and near
swamps, ponds, and recently flooded areas containing snags. The
Gilded Flicker subspecies nests in saguaro cacti. The northern
populations of flickers return to their breeding ground from
mid-March to early April. By late April and early May, pairs have
bonded and begun to breed. Flicker houses should be mounted 6 to
30 feet high with the entrance hole facing southeast. These
houses should be packed tightly with sawdust for the birds to
excavate.
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