How to Recognize Woodpeckers by Their Drumming Sounds

Summary

How to Recognize Woodpeckers by Their Drumming Sounds Woodpecker drumming may not be as immediately distinctive as birdsong—but by carefully listening to speed, duration, and rhythm you can still tell many species apart. Here are some tips. April 3, 2025 Downy Woodpeckers have short, relatively slow drums. Video by Seth Honig / Macaulay Library. One of the first indications of springtime in North America is the rat-a-tat sound of woodpeckers drumming. Even on mild, sunny days in late winter you may hear them trying out their drumming. Compared with the melody and tone of birdsong, drumming isn’t quite as recognizable—but if you listen closely you can still tell some woodpeckers apart from others. Woodpeckers can drum all year round, but there’s a noticeable uptick during the spring months—roughly March through June depending on your latitude. In woodpeckers, drumming serves the same function as song does for songbirds: it advertises a bird’s (or a pair’s) territory and helps attract mates. In most woodpecker species, both males and females drum. How and Why Do Woodpeckers Drum? VIDEO Anytime you hear a fast, extended sequence of loud pecks—that’s drumming, and it’s all about communication. They’re not looking for food. In fact, during feeding woodpeckers peck slowly and make only faint noises as they choose when and where to take their next strike. (Listening out for these quiet, methodical pecking sounds can be helpful in tracking down a woodpecker as it’s busy feeding.) This also explains why you often see woodpeckers drumming on metal surfaces like streetlights, gutters, and garbage can lids. They’re not confused about where their dinner is, they’re looking to make the loudest possible sound. If you watch a woodpecker drumming on a dead tree, you’ll often see it make minute adjustments in where it’s pecking. Sometimes a slight adjustment results in a much louder, farther-carrying sound. 3 Main Drumming Patterns Rat-a-tat-tat: Steady, Evenly Spaced Drumming The cl...