[masraum]

Originally Posted by mjohnson

Supposedly if they're hacking on your wood that indicates that there's something in there to eat (bad for homeowner). I guess that makes sense, why waste the energy poking holes for no food?

Unless of course your one of our flickers. Those guys are horny jerks and bang on stuff (wood/metal/a gong if they could) just to get the ladies' attention. They're beautiful birds but kinda jerks.

Speaking of jerks, imagine if hummingbirds (especially the orange Rufous) were the size of ravens. There'd be human casualties...

Yep, there are 4 main reasons why woodpeckers peck.
1 Food
2 To make a home
3 To mark their territory or warn off predators
4 To find a mate

Some will peck on metal items, presumably for #3 and #4.