Where do woodpeckers nest?
Woodpecker · Dendrocopos major
Great spotted woodpeckers nest in a hole they dig themselves in the trunk or a large branch of a mature tree, often where the wood is dead or going soft. The hole is not lined with anything but wood chips. They nest once a year, laying in late April or May, in woods, parks and gardens with big old trees.
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- Where
- A hole dug into a mature tree, often in dead or soft wood
- Nest
- An unlined chamber with wood chips in the bottom
- When
- April to June, first eggs usually early May
- Eggs
- Usually 4 to 6, about two weeks of sitting
- Broods
- One
- Fledging
- About 3 weeks after hatching
- Digging
- A new hole takes around 2 to 4 weeks
Where woodpeckers nest
The woodpecker you are most likely to see in Britain, and the one in Nyth, is the great spotted woodpecker. It nests in a tree, and it makes its own front door: a round hole chiselled into the trunk or a big branch, opening into a chamber below.
It picks mature trees, and it likes wood that is dead or softening, which is easier going. Broadleaved and mixed woodland are its home, but parks and bigger gardens with old trees work too. Our other two woodpeckers dig holes as well: the green woodpecker, which you are more likely to see feeding on a lawn, and the much rarer lesser spotted woodpecker.
What a woodpecker’s nest looks like
From the ground, just a neat round hole. Inside, the chamber has no lining at all, only the wood chips left over from digging. According to the BTO a woodpecker hole takes about two to four weeks to dig. Most pairs dig a fresh one each year, although old holes do get used again.
Those old holes matter to other birds. Starlings, tits, nuthatches and others nest in old woodpecker holes, which is one reason dead trees are worth leaving where they are safe.
When woodpeckers nest
Drumming in late winter and early spring is the start of it: rapid bursts on a dead branch that carry a long way and let both birds stake out a territory. Eggs are laid between mid-April and late May, most often in early May. There are usually four to six, and they hatch after about two weeks.
The chicks are in the hole for about three weeks, and towards the end they are loud. In late May and June their calls from inside a tree trunk can give the nest away.
How to help woodpeckers in your garden
Woodpeckers rarely take to nest boxes, so the useful things are mostly about trees and food:
- Leave old and dead trees standing where it is safe to. A dead branch is somewhere to drum, feed and dig.
- Put out peanuts and suet. Great spotted woodpeckers are regular visitors to garden feeders, especially in winter.
- Protect your tit boxes. Woodpeckers will hack into a wooden nest box to get at the chicks inside. A metal plate around the hole, or a box made of woodcrete, stops them.
- Try a large box if you like. The BTO groups woodpeckers with starlings for box size, fixed 3 to 5 metres up a trunk with a clear way in. Expect starlings to find it first.
Checked against: RSPB: Great spotted woodpecker, BTO BirdFacts: Great spotted woodpecker. Last checked 8 November 2026.
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Questions
Do woodpeckers make a new nest every year?
Usually, yes. Most pairs dig a fresh hole each spring, though old holes are sometimes used again.
When do woodpeckers nest?
Eggs go in between mid-April and late May, most often in early May, and the young leave the hole in June.
Do woodpeckers use nest boxes?
Rarely. They prefer to dig their own hole. They are more likely to break into another bird’s box than to use one.
Do woodpeckers damage trees?
They mostly dig into wood that is already dead or soft. A healthy tree is not usually harmed.
Why is a woodpecker drumming?
To claim a territory and keep in touch with its mate. Both males and females drum, mostly in late winter and spring.
