Seeing Woodpeckers Like This Could Be A Sign Of A Brutal Winter

Bird behavior can tell us a lot about the weather. Case in point: Birds that are flying low signal that the barometric pressure has dropped, which strongly suggests that rain is in the forecast. Likewise, birds that fly high in the sky generally mean that the weather is nice and mild and picnic-worthy. If a bad storm is on the horizon, they'll quit flying altogether and find a spot to hunker down until it passes. In cases of impending tough winter weather, it turns out that a simple woodpecker behavior could be quite telling.

Woodpeckers, like a lot of other bird species, tend to fly south for the winter. However, that's not always the case, and even many southern areas are known to have bitter winter weather from time to time. Wherever woodpeckers land for the winter, they use their pecking abilities to create cavities in trees where they can ride out the cold weather. Typically, this winter roosting is a solo activity. That's why when more than one woodpecker is spotted on a single tree, it can signal some pretty significant weather-related implications.

Bird and weather experts have suggested that two woodpeckers on one tree can indicate that an especially severe winter is approaching. Farmers' Almanac has even listed "woodpeckers sharing a tree" as one of its anecdotal signs that a hard winter is imminent. 

The superstition — which Farmers' Almanac first published in the late '70s — is well-known enough to show up on regional network news. When an Ohio resident took a video of two woodpeckers occupying the same tree in August of 2023, a Fox meteorologist was compelled to dispel the notion that these small birds portended a snowy onslaught. It's "interesting folklore, but all unprovable" said Andre Bernier of Fox 8.

While the myth that two woodpeckers plus one tree equals a tough winter ahead could certainly be true, it is not scientifically proven at this point in time. Instead, it's more of a good observational guess. That said, acknowledging the phenomenon and thusly preparing a little extra for winter weather never hurt anyone, right?