Nesting boxes for the red bellied woodpecker  ...

The red bellied woodpecker prefers nesting boxes that are made of older or weathered wood.  The red bellied woodpecker is known for its habit of pecking away at its own house just the same as it would if it were in a tree.  Unfortunately there is no way to really stop this natural process and save your nesting boxes from falling into decay.

However you can make nesting boxes that are extra thick so that these nesting boxes have a stronger chance of standing the test of time.  Keep in mind too that these are not always the prettiest of bird boxes as the purple of the pecking is to create holes so that the red bellied woodpecker an feed on insects.  For this reason the best location for this type of bird box is in very old trees so that it will peck at the tree rather than the box.

To find nesting boxes made of thick wood and natural wood that would be suitable for the red-bellied woodpecker, and to find the materials* that you need to perfect the nest box location, visit the online stores listed below.

The Bird Shed
Practical nesting boxes for a variety of birds.

The rustic style of Woodpecker Nesting boxes