That snazzy woodpecker: Big and bold, red-bellied woodpeckers attract attention

Q: I occasionally see a big woodpecker with an orange head at my suet feeder. What is it and what else does it like to eat?

A: I can understand your wish to see more of one of our largest and most handsome woodpeckers, the red-bellied woodpecker. It's named for the slight rosy wash on its belly, instead of the more-noticeable gleaming orange-red wash on its head. They're not hard to please: Just offer sunflower or safflower seeds, shelled peanuts, and, in summer, oranges in addition to suet cakes. This woodpecker has a distinctive chortle call — you can hear it at All About Birds — type in the species name, then click on "Sounds."

Birds vs. spiders

Q: I saw a bird pecking at a spider web and it led me to wonder: Do birds eat spiders?

A. Good question and yes, many birds eat spiders because they are a rich source of protein. And many birds feed small spiders to their nestlings, since arachnids contain an amino acid that boosts young birds' intelligence. But birds also make use of the webs themselves: Many birds know that spider webbing expands under pressure, just what's needed for a nest that needs to grow as its occupants do. Hummingbirds, for example, make good use of webbing in their tiny nests. So, spider webs make an excellent building material and spiders make a good meal.

Warbler bait?

Q: I would like to attract warblers to my feeders, but I can't seem to find any information on this. They're such beautiful birds and I would like to see more of them.

A: Warblers are gorgeous but the reason you don't find many references to them visiting feeders is because this family of birds is very focused on insects. They return to our area in the spring just as insect eggs are hatching into caterpillars — this is what fuels warblers as they head to their breeding grounds. However, during long, cold springs when insects are scarce, some warblers will visit suet feeders for a high-energy meal. Some species will slurp up sugar water and grape jelly set out for orioles, if they're hungry and can't find insects.

Killer cardinals?

Q: Cardinals are feeding their young in their nest in our spruce tree, and a robin has a nest in the same tree. But today I noticed broken robin eggs in the tree and on the ground. Did the cardinals do this because the robin nest was too close?

A: I've never heard or read of cardinals acting aggressively toward another species' nest. I'm betting that the culprit here was one of the birds known to wreck other birds' eggs, notably house wrens and brown-headed cowbirds. There are reports of catbirds and red-bellied woodpeckers as egg-wreckers, too. And then there are likely suspects in the animal world, including gray and red squirrels and chipmunks. I'm betting house wrens were the miscreants in this case.

Disappearing crows

Q: This is scary to me: All winter long I'd see hundreds of crows gathering in late afternoon before taking off en masse to roost somewhere for the night. But now I see only a dozen crows at best. What happened to them?

A: In the spring and summer crows aren't interested in assembling at nighttime roosts. Instead, they've paired up and are raising the next generation in nests scattered all over our area. By late fall they will begin meeting up in large groups to spend the nights together, for safety's sake. It's possible, though, that they might move to a different pre-roost site, which they do from time to time.

Removing a nest?

Q: Robins are building a nest on the light next to our back door. Would I be a terrible person if I took it down, as long as there are no eggs in it? We can't stop using our back door for however long it takes for the nesting process.

A: No, you wouldn't be a terrible person to remove a nest from a place where it's bound to cause conflict between birds and humans. The key words here are "as long as there are no eggs or young present," as Audubon Minnesota notes. If there are eggs or nestlings in a nest, the law requires you to leave it alone until the young birds fly or jump out, about a month after eggs are laid.

Lights out

Q: As I retrieved the newspaper from my front entry today, a small bird flew up into the area near the ceiling, and I just noticed that it's built a nest on top of the light. How long should I leave the nest up there and should I reprogram the light so it doesn't go on at sunset and off at dawn?

A: It's great that you are willing to accommodate this bird and its nest during the nesting period. Since it doesn't sound like this is a robin, then I'd suspect an Eastern phoebe, a frequent porch- and entryway-nester. It will take about a month for the eggs to hatch and then the youngsters to grow up and leave, then the nest can be removed. I'm sure the parent birds and nestlings will appreciate having darkness at night, as they'd have in a more natural setting.

St. Paul resident Val Cunningham, who volunteers with the St. Paul Audubon Society and writes about nature for local, regional and national newspapers and magazines, can be reached at valwrites@comcast.net.

Nesting times

American robin: 12-14 days incubation; 14-16 days until young fledge.

Ruby-throated hummingbird: 14-18 days incubation; 18-21 days until fledging.

House finch: 12-16 days incubation; 11-19 days until fledging.

Mourning dove: 17-19 days incubation; 35-37 days until fledging.

Eastern phoebe: 15-17 days incubation; 20-21 days until fledging.

American crow: 18 days incubation; 28-35 days until fledging.