We’re passionate about birds and nature. That’s why we opened a Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop in our community.
Union Square Shopping Center,
478 Route 35
Red Bank (Middletown), NJ 07701
Phone: (732) 345-5070
Fax: (732) 345-5072
Email: Send Message
Store Hours:
Mon - Thurs: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Fri: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sun: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Woodpeckers are medium-sized birds, with stiff spiny tails, strong beaks, and strong grasping toes. On most species, two toes point forward and two point backward. Woodpeckers evolved for climbing tree trunks using their stiff tail to prop against the trunk. They use their strong bills to drill below the bark to feed on tree-boring insects. Woodpeckers nest in tree cavities that they excavate; they will also use nest boxes provided by people.
The small Downy Woodpecker is probably the most common woodpecker in New Jersey and it is found throughout the state. This bird will nest in any small patch of wood, however it is common even in the urbanized area of northeast Jersey. Most Downeys are year-round residents, but they will occassionally wander. They are common at bird feeders and will eat almost anything: suet and shelled peanuts are favorites, but they'll also eat sunflower seeds, peanut butter, corn, and even bread. This bird disappears from Sandy Hook in April to go nest in surrounding areas because Sandy Hook does not have sufficient trees suitable for nesting. They return to the Hook in July and remain throughout the fall and winter.
Hairy Woodpeckers look a lot like Downey Woodpeckers, but are considerably larger and have a proportionally larger bill. The two woodpeckers are readily distinguished by calls: the Downey call is a weak "pik" or a descending whinny, while the Hairy's call is a sharp "Peek."
Hairy Woodpeckers are found throughout New Jersey, but in much smaller numbers than Downeys. Hairy Woodpeckers require larger, more mature woodlands, with larger trees. They are more commonly observed in the Northern portion of Jersey than in Monmouth County, and they are scarce along the coast. To judge relative abundance, typical Christmas bird count totals are 300 and 2000 for the Hairy and Downy woodpecker, respectively. While Hairys tend to be more shy than Downys, they will come to your feeder if they are in the area.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a bird from the South that has rapidly increased in our area over the last 50 years. They first bred in Cape May County in the 1950s, reached the Princeton area by 1962, and were observed in far northern Jersey 14 years later. Today, in Monmouth County, this bird is almost as common as the Downey.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a very common backyard feeder visitor. It has varied tastes, enjoying peanuts, suet, sunflower, corn, apple, grapes, and even doughnuts. There are red feathers on the belly of this bird, but they are often hidden. By contrast, the red color on the nape of the neck is much more noticeable.
The Northern Flicker remains a common breeding bird throughout New Jersey, but declines in number have been noticed since the late 1960s. Flickers prefer to nest in dead or dying trees, and many of these trees are removed by present-day timber management. In addition, European Starlings often take over a Flicker's nest. Unlike most woodpeckers, Northern Flickers are highly migratory. Large flocks migrate southbound along the coast in September and October and Northbound in March and April. However, a fair number also spend the winter in New Jersey.
Flickers often feed on the ground and eat more ants than any other North American bird. In fall and winter, they switch to fruits and berries. While not very common at feeders, they will come for cracked corn, suet, sunflower, bread, and peanut butter.
