Woodpeckers are striking backyard visitors, recognized by their distinctive calls and drumming sounds. They are primarily insectivores, using specialized anatomy to forage for prey beneath tree bark. Their natural diet of wood-boring insects, larvae, and ants makes them opportunistic foragers. This dietary flexibility leads them to bird feeders, prompting the question of whether they consume common seed mixes intended for other songbirds.
Woodpecker Dietary Preferences
The core of a woodpecker’s diet consists of invertebrates, such as beetle larvae and ants, which they extract from wood using their long, barbed tongues. Larger species, like the Pileated Woodpecker, consume carpenter ants, while the Northern Flicker forages on the ground for ants and termites. Woodpeckers are omnivorous, also consuming tree sap, nuts, and berries. This reliance on insects explains why most standard bird seed is not their first choice.
Woodpeckers generally ignore small, low-calorie fillers like millet, oats, or thistle (Nyjer) seed found in cheap mixes. They show a strong preference for black oil sunflower seeds, especially when insect protein is scarce in winter. This variety is favored due to its thin shell and high fat content, providing necessary quick energy. Species like the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers frequently consume this higher-value seed.
The Best Feeder Foods for Woodpeckers
Fat and protein-rich foods are the most effective options for consistently attracting woodpeckers. Suet, rendered animal fat, is considered the premier food source because it closely mimics the high-fat energy found in insect larvae. Cakes made from pure beef fat are highly effective, and commercial suet often includes ingredients like peanuts, cracked corn, or dried fruit. Suet is particularly beneficial in colder weather, providing concentrated calories necessary for maintaining body temperature.
Shelled peanuts are another favorite, offering a great source of fat and protein. They can be provided whole, chopped, or as a high-fat peanut butter mix smeared into a log feeder. Cracked corn provides a substantial carbohydrate boost, and dried mealworms mimic their natural insect prey.
Specialized Feeder Setups
Woodpeckers are anatomically adapted to cling to vertical surfaces, using their stiff tail feathers for support while feeding. Successful feeder setups must mimic this natural posture. Suet cages should be mounted vertically against a tree trunk or pole, allowing the bird to brace itself while pecking. Log feeders, featuring drilled holes filled with peanut butter or suet dough, offer a similar natural feeding experience.
The “upside-down” suet feeder is effective for deterring non-clinging birds like European Starlings. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees can easily hang beneath the feeder to access the food, but starlings generally cannot. To discourage squirrels, which are also attracted to high-value foods, several strategies are recommended:
- Use squirrel baffles on feeder poles.
- Utilize suet cakes infused with capsaicin (hot pepper), which birds cannot taste.
- Place feeders at least five to six feet off the ground.
- Ensure feeders are ten feet from any jumping-off point to reduce opportunistic access.