Woodpeckers are frequent and enthusiastic consumers of sunflower seeds, particularly common backyard species such as the Downy and Red-bellied woodpeckers. While these birds are primarily known for their insectivorous diet, supplemental sources like seeds offer a dense package of nutrients. Sunflower seeds deliver a high concentration of fat and protein, which provides an important energy boost, especially during the cold months of winter when their primary food sources are scarce.
The Woodpecker’s Natural Diet
Woodpeckers are omnivorous, meaning their natural diet is varied and not solely focused on insects. A large part of their sustenance comes from foraging for tree-dwelling insects and their larvae, which they excavate from bark and wood using their specialized beaks and barbed tongues. This constant search for hidden protein requires significant physical effort throughout the day.
In addition to insects, their diet incorporates various plant-based items like tree sap, nuts, and wild berries, especially when arthropods are less available. The high-energy demands of a woodpecker’s life, which includes territorial drumming, nesting, and maintaining body temperature, necessitate a diet rich in fats and carbohydrates. Seeds, particularly high-fat sunflower seeds, serve as an efficient, energy-dense supplement that helps meet these intense metabolic needs. This supplemental feeding provides a necessary caloric buffer in environments where natural food availability fluctuates.
Selecting the Best Sunflower Seeds
The type of sunflower seed offered significantly impacts its appeal to woodpeckers. Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS) are generally preferred over the larger striped sunflower seeds. BOSS features a thinner shell that is easier for a bird to crack open, and the kernel boasts a higher oil content, translating to more calories per seed.
For the easiest access, hulled seeds, also known as sunflower hearts or chips, are readily accepted by woodpeckers. Woodpeckers lack the specialized bill structure of finches to efficiently de-hull seeds, often requiring them to wedge a seed into a crevice before hammering it open. Providing hulled seeds allows the bird immediate access to the high caloric density, maximizing the nutritional return for the energy expended.
These seeds are highly attractive due to their nutritional profile, which is approximately 28% fat and 25% protein. The fat content is especially appealing during colder weather or periods of high stress, such as nesting, when energy reserves are depleted quickly. Offering this ready source of fat and protein helps support feather maintenance and general health.
Feeder Design for Woodpecker Access
Woodpeckers require specific physical accommodations at a feeding station due to their unique foraging posture. Unlike songbirds that comfortably perch horizontally, woodpeckers brace themselves vertically on tree trunks using their stiff tail feathers for support. Therefore, standard small perches on tube feeders are often inadequate for them.
To feed comfortably, woodpeckers need either a vertical surface to cling to or a large, stable platform. Specialized tail-prop feeders are designed with an extended lower section that allows the bird to brace its tail, mimicking its natural posture on a tree trunk. Alternatively, a wide platform or tray feeder provides a broad, flat surface where they can easily stand and access the seeds.
Feeder placement can also enhance their security and encourage feeding. Woodpeckers feel most comfortable when a feeder is placed directly against or very near a tree trunk, which offers a familiar vertical orientation and quick cover from potential predators. Using a suet cage—a type of feeder that forces a vertical clinging posture—to hold sunflower chips instead of suet is another effective method for accommodating their physical needs.