NEST BOXES FOR WOODPECKERS 



By FRANK C. PELLETT, Atlantic, Iowa 



Strange, is it not, that among all the articles that have been 

 written about attracting birds, no one has, as yet, told us how to 

 make a box for woodpeckers ? It has not been from lack of 

 interest, however, for the problem of furnishing artificial homes 

 for woodpeckers has engaged the attention of bird lovers for 

 some time. Some naturalists have said that, inasmuch as wood- 

 peckers had not been induced to occupy boxes, it was out of the 

 question to fill their requirements. Others have said that by de- 

 vising expensive machinery that would bore a hole in the natural 

 wood, similar to that made by the birds, themselves, they could be 

 induced to occupy it. 



Artificial homes for birds have been a matter of experiment 

 with me for several years. While a number of species not com- 

 monly occupying boxes, have reared their families with me, it is 



WOODPECKERS IN 

 READY-MADE HOME 



FIRST WOODPECKER TO 



REAR FAMILY IN A BOX 



FEEDING THE YOUNG 



A QUARTETTE FROM A 

 FAMILY OF SEVEN 



my purpose to confine myself to a description of boxes for wood- 

 peckers. These boxes have been so successful, that I feel safe 

 in saying that woodpeckers can be attracted to boxes as easily 

 as any other birds, even bluebirds, if we comply with a few sim- 

 ple requirements. 



My home is in a small grove of native woods, some distance 



