Can this bird be saved?

[Bina]

Those pileated woodpeckers are spectacular and powerful.....a pair of them did some major damage to my Father's Hydro pole. He strung up some aluminum pie plates. I don't like to use any tar-like sticky products because the smaller birds and mammals can get caught and suffer horribly before starving to death.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Might try hanging a large plastic owl or two.

That only works for a short time, until the bird(s) realize that they are NOT real / living critters.

Same for Rubber Snakes

...and pie pans...

OTOH, a Dead Bird laying on the Roof seems to get the message across... until a newby shows up after the dead bird has disappeared.

 

[hensylee]

It does amaze me. We have at least 300 trees on our property, and probably 10,000 within a 1/2 mile radius of the house-but this guy turns up his nose at Pondersosa pine, which for some reason is not nearly as attractive as Cedar.

I have been wondering if anyone has experience with something like a fake owl?

ours pecks a bit on the live pines, but they prefer dead trees. that's where they nest. ours nested in a dead dried out pine and that's where the babies were born. your deck, therefore, is very inviting. from the picture, it looks like he's well on his way to making a big dent in the wood.

I found some tin owls in a catalog one time and bought some to send to son in law because of deer. the tin owls are black and have marble like eyes that glow in the dark and appear to be staring during the day. I don't know if they worked or not, tho.

hope you find an answer - and then tell us.